My Everything, a Twilight Soap Opera of Extreme Length
by CharliDenae
Summary: Jasper vowed to protect the Cullens' new baby daughter, but complications arise when his feelings for her change and now, he may be the one she needs protection from. Can he keep his vow, or will he let everyone down? Human - Rate M
1. The Surprise

**_Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer is the owner of the Twilight Saga and all of its characters._**

**My Everything**

1.

The Surprise

"Carlisle! Seriously? I don't know what to say!" Esme clutched her hands to her chest as though holding her heart inside. "Oh, dear Lord! I feel faint."

Carlisle grinned and grabbed Esme around the waist. "I know you love the boys with all of your heart, Es, but I also know that you still dream of having a daughter. It broke our hearts when we lost our baby, but Esme, your eyes, they just don't sparkle like they used to. That little girl took a part of you with her that I would give my life to get back." He hugged her to him, burying his nose into her fragrant, coppery hair. "You know we will both always love her - and miss what should've been - but we need to go on. Maybe this will put some sparkle back in our lives." He pulled back so he could peer into her beautiful face. "Besides, she's such a sweet, helpless little thing. She really needs us, Esme."

"Oh, Darling! I cannot believe you've kept this from me for three weeks!" She gazed at her handsome, dark-haired husband. "You must've been bursting!"

"I was! You cannot imagine!" He said with a chuckle, "but I wanted to be sure… of everything, before I brought up the idea. Preemies are always so fragile and, what if we were all prepared and… she hadn't made it?" He peered intently into her face again. "Esme, I couldn't bear to see you go through that pain again. I couldn't bear it! I couldn't! I love you with all my heart and I couldn't say anything until I knew she was healthy. I also had to make sure that she could be ours forever. That no one would come and claim her once we loved her."

"Oh, Carlisle!" Esme squealed and snuggled tighter into his strong, protective arms. "I love her already! When can we bring her home?"

"Not until tomorrow morning. Since I'm not on shift until day after tomorrow, I thought we could go shopping for baby things today. Then we can spend the whole day with our sons and daughter, tomorrow."

Esme's eyes had been glowing with excitement, but they dimmed somewhat. Her expression was thoughtful, but sad.

"Esme! What's wrong?" His concerned blue eyes searched her luminous gold-green ones.

"What about Edward? Carlisle, he took it so hard when the baby died. He has been kind of clingy ever since. Do you think he will be OK with this?"

"What I think, dear wife, is that Edward reflects on whatever his mommy is feeling and will be over the moon to have a new baby in the house."

"When should we tell them?" Her smile returning with the question.

Just then, they heard running feet and giggles as three very healthy young boys ran into the room from outside.

"Boys! What have we told you about running in the house?"

"Sorry, Momma!"

"Sorry, Mommy!"

"Sorry, Ms. Esme!"

"Were there ever three more adorable young men in all the world, My Heart?"

Carlisle and Esme had started calling each other outrageous names after one of their friends jokingly commented that the way they acted with each other, made him nauseous. The more outrageous the name, the more their friend would act up and it became a running joke for a while, then it became a habit, and they had been doing it ever since.

Esme's eyes were, again, bright with joy. "Never, My World."

They both grinned at each other and turned to look at the 'Three Musketeers', as Esme was wont to call them. Usually Carlisle would jokingly reply, "More like the Three Stooges", which always got a rise out of his better half, but today they were just too excited over the wonderful news they had to share.

The three boys stood gazing at them, not sure if they were in trouble, or not.

The eldest, and tallest, Emmett, was a sturdy block of a boy. He had scared the heck out of the kids in his Kindergarten class when school had started this past September. That is, until he grinned. He had the most engaging smile and no one, could resist it. They're first-born was the gentlest, sweetest boy and seemed to just know that, since he was so much bigger than the other kids in his class, he had to be extra careful. This gentleness, along with his father's charismatic personality, dark, curly hair, light blue eyes and dimples, charmed everyone he met.

Edward, on the other hand, was so sensitive and thoughtful, that he appeared to be somewhat brooding. His mother's beautiful hazel eyes and mop of coppery, bronze-colored hair, brought an almost poetic beauty to his face and, together with his graceful, lithe form, he was, at just under three years old, already on his way to being a heartbreaker with the ladies. All the little girls at Preschool followed Edward around like he was the best thing since Barbie, but he didn't even notice them. He was usually too caught up in his own little world or was romping with his best friend, Jasper Hale.

Jasper was a beautiful child. There was just no other word to describe him. He looked like one of those children you see on the covers of the parenting magazines. He had the smoothest, creamiest skin, even for a preschooler. The perfect color of peaches and cream that deepened to a golden brown in the sun, gorgeously complemented by the stunning green of his eyes and the paleness of his shaggy, thick blonde hair. They used to use the term, 'Tow-head' for children that blonde. He was tall and sturdy, not so much as Emmett, but, even at two years younger, he could hold his own. He had a charm and athleticism that promised great things. His older sister, Rosalie, was almost his exact double except, where he possessed charm, she had a feisty spark, and was, in every sense of the word, a girl.

At five years old, she could already wrap anyone around her little finger any time she wanted to. She was the bossiest little thing in her and Emmett's class, but every one of their classmates were in awe of her and she used it to her advantage. Intelligence and beauty to her, were like breathing to everyone else.

Jackson Hale and Carlisle Cullen had been best friends since grade school, and their children were being raised practically as siblings. One, or both, were always at each other's homes and their parents treated them all as their own.

Carlisle and Jackson had also graduated from medical school together and, when they moved back to Wisconsin from Northwestern, had purchased adjoining property on which to build their homes. They both landed positions at the local hospital with plans to open a private practice some day, and put enough money aside for gorgeous engagement rings. When they proposed to their girls, they had wanted to make sure that all would be ready.

Carlisle had already talked to Jackson about the possibility of bringing home the abandoned baby girl from the hospital. He confided everything to his childhood friend, especially when he was worried about something, and he had to know what Jackson thought of the situation. Jackson had been all for it and thought that the 'Hens', as he fondly called Esme and his wife, Lynnette, would be so happy that all of their lives would be simply peachy from here on out, because, as Jackson loved to drawl, "Ya'll know, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" To which the kids and 'Hens' would giggle because Jackson didn't really have a Texas drawl, just a slight twang. He had never actually lived in Texas and, since his daddy had moved to Williams Bay, when he was only nine, he hadn't had much of a drawl, either.

"But ya'll know that, them there Texas roots, they grow mighty deep!" Which, of course, brought on more giggles and, the more giggles, the stronger Jackson's drawl became, until everyone was crying and holding their sides.

Esme smiled lovingly at the little rascals lined up before her.

"Hey guys," she said, "how about some cookies and milk while we have a talk?"

"Emmett!" cried Edward. "What did you do?"

"Eddie! I didn't do nothin'!"

"Anything." Esme corrected.

"Anything… how come you always blame me?"

"Cuz, Em," Jasper noted matter-of-factly. "Yer the one always gettin' in trouble!"

Carlisle chuckled. "Come on, boys. No one is in trouble. Go wash your hands while we get your snack. We have something really special to tell you."

"Whoopeee!!" Emmett hollered as he flew up the stairs followed closely by his comrades in arms.

Before Esme could even finish filling their glasses with milk, she heard the boys come clamoring back down to the kitchen.

Carlisle got them seated at the table and passed out cookies while Esme set a glass down for each of them. When everyone was settled, Carlisle asked, "What would you boys think if we had a baby come live with us?"

"What kind of baby?" asked Edward.

"Well," said Esme, not sure what he meant. "A tiny, little baby that doesn't have a mommy or a daddy."

"No, Mommy! A brother baby, or a sister baby?"

"Ugh! I hope its not a sister baby! I already gots a sister and I wish she was a brother."

"Jasper! Rosie ain't a baby! She's a big kid, like me. Don't be stupid!"

"Emmett Alan Cullen!! We don't say 'ain't' and we never, ever say 'stupid'!"

"Sorry, Momma! But Rosie ain't, I mean, isn't, a baby. Me and her are five now and, we go to school! These guys don't know nothin' cuz they ain… aren't big kids like us."

"Well, Emmett," said Carlisle. "I don't think that Jas meant that Rose is a baby. I think he just meant that she is a sister."

Jasper nodded as Esme added, "Just because someone is not as old as you, does not mean they are stupid or don't know what they're talking about, Emmett. Remember how Daddy and I always tell you to treat people with respect?"

All three boys nodded. "Well, calling someone stupid or not listening to what they say, is not respectful, Okay?"

"Okay!" All three boys chimed in.

Carlisle sighed and thought, "Why was it always such an ordeal to have a conversation in this house?" He glanced at Esme who gazed back at him with eyes full of love and laughter.

"Patience, my Darling." she grinned.

"Anyway," Carlisle smiled and tried again. "There is a little baby… girl… " he added at a look from Edward. "that needs a family to love and take care of her. She doesn't have anyone and, Mommy and I thought that, since we all have enough love to share, and two… errr… three, strong big brothers to help take care of her, maybe she could live with us."

"Mr. Carlisle," Jasper said. "Ummmm, does this baby girl need a big sister, too?"

"Yes, Jasper," Carlisle smiled. "She definitely needs a big sister, too."

"Well, I think we should go get her, then." said Emmett. Once Rosalie was included, he was all for it.

Esme glanced at Edward. He was deep in thought with an adorable frown between his eyebrows.

Jasper waited patiently for Edward to say something because, though he knew he was part of the family, he didn't actually live here.

Finally, he could take it no longer. "Eddie! Aren't you gonna' say anythin' 'bout the baby sister?"

Edward looked up into his mom's beautiful soft, hazel eyes. "What happened to the baby's mommy and daddy?"

"No one knows who her mommy is. She was too young to be a mommy and couldn't take care of her, so she left her at the hospital for our Daddy to take care of."

"We don't know where her father is, either, Edward, but I'm sure he would be happy to know that his daughter will be well taken care of." added Carlisle.

"Mommy, will you love the stranger-borned baby sister so much that you won't cry for that angel-borned baby sister any more?"

"Oh, Edward!" cried Esme. With tears in her eyes she walked around the table to gather him in her arms. "You are the sweetest, most thoughtful boy a mommy ever had. Of course I will love her! I will love her just like she was born to us!"

She had been so worried that Edward was going to be upset about sharing her love and affection, and here he was, worried that she wouldn't love the baby as much because she didn't give birth to her. What a delightful boy he was!

"Well," he sighed, "let's go get her then, but," he added firmly, "if she says she don't want no brothers, she's goin' back to that hospital, cuz we got three here and we ain't sending' none of 'em back!"

"Okay, what a delightful, and _loyal_, boy he was!" Esme smiled.

All three boys nodded their heads. They all had such serious looks on their faces, that, despite the cookie crumbs and milk mustaches, Carlisle saw a glimpse of the men they would become. Esme just looked on with tear, and love-filled eyes, thinking how lucky she was to be surrounded by such wonderful men.


	2. Wonderful News

2.

Wonderful News

"Lynnette!" Esme said into the phone, "I have the most wonderful news!"

"I know!" cried Lynnette. "I made Jackson tell me! I just knew he had a secret and I worked on him all morning until he finally cracked. I hope you don't mind! He said that Carlisle was going to tell you and I would find out soon anyway."

"No, I don't mind," Esme giggled. Lynnette could pry a secret out of the most devoted secret keeper in all of the state if given the time. She just couldn't stand not being in the 'know'.

"I am so excited for you, Essie! Its so good to hear you sound so happy."

"I am happy, Lynn! I haven't felt this giddy since I found out I was expecting Emmett! What have I ever done to be so blessed?"

"You are a saint among women, Esmerelda Cullen, and don't you ever forget that! You deserve every happiness you get! No one in this town can deny it, either! Is there one group or foundation that you have not either donated to or volunteered for? Have you missed an opportunity to help anyone in need? You are always there for others. It is about time that you were there for yourself! Besides, this baby needs you as much as you need her."

"Thank you, Lynn. You are a dear, dear friend. Can I send the boys over for a few hours? Carlisle and I have to go shopping. The baby is going to need so may things!"

"I would love to keep an eye on the Musketeers, Essie! After putting up with Rosie pouting all morning, those three should be a piece of cake."

Both ladies laughed affectionately and, after Esme told the boys to go on over by Lynnette, they said their good-byes.

Esme was so overwhelmed by excitement that she wasn't even sure what one needed for a newborn any more. She still had some of the boys' baby things, but she had never even gotten the chance to shop for her baby daughter. They only knew she was a girl after Esme had gone into labor just shy of her seventh month. She had been scheduled for an Ultrasound that week and they had both decided to find out the sex of the baby so they could shop and decorate accordingly.

"If its a girl", Carlisle had said, "I'll paint everything pink and we'll buy her enough clothes for ten little girls! And, if its a boy…" he had started, and Esme had interrupted him with, "I will love it just as much and you can paint everything blue!"

He had laughed and said that she was on.

She and Carlisle had taken turns holding the fragile little body after enduring hours of horrible, gut-wrenching contractions and mind-numbing grief. The doctor and nurses had tried everything they could to comfort her through the process but, the outcome was always going to be the same.

Kathy, her maternity nurse, had bathed the baby and dressed her in a hospital T-shirt that dwarfed her tiny form. She then wrapped her in a fuzzy pink blanket and brought her into the room. Carlisle and Esme had both agreed that they wanted, no, needed, to spend some time with their daughter before she was taken away forever.

Carlisle had held her for a few minutes before handing her to Esme. At first, Esme couldn't raise her hands to take the tiny bundle, but, once she cradled her in her arms, she knew she couldn't let her go. Tears streamed down her face as she lovingly gazed at the perfect features and translucent skin.

After a few minutes, Carlisle looked down at her in her hospital bed and asked her if she would like to be alone for a while. She had nodded and he said he'd be back shortly. She had heard him talking to one of the hospital staff in the hallway outside her room, but it was too low to make out what they were saying. He was concerned, she knew, but wouldn't any woman be as devastated as she was?

Esme had turned her face up to the ceiling. "Why? Why did you take her from me? You turned such joy into such sorrow. How will I ever get over this? What if I can't? How will I ever be a good mother to my boys if I cannot let go of this choking pain in my chest?

A half hour later, Carlisle returned and gently told Esme that it was time for her to let the baby go. Kathy came into the room to take the baby and Carlisle urged Esme to swallow the sleeping pill Kathy had brought for her.

Turning her tiny, perfect baby over to the nurse had been the hardest thing Esme had ever done. Coming home from the hospital a few days later, empty-handed, had been the second hardest thing she had ever done. She had wandered through the house not knowing where she was going or why, but she always ended up in the nursery. She hated that room now! As soon as she was able, she had turned it into a guest bedroom and only went in there to dust and vacuum it a couple times a month.

She would relish redecorating that room again, this time she'd make it into the perfect haven for a little girl! She clapped her hands at the possibilities and started making plans in her head. "Should they go with pink, or something a little less traditional? Should they buy matching furniture, or go with eclectic pieces?" Esme mused. "Oh! This was going to be so much fun! A little girl at last! Someone she could spend 'girly' time with. Someone to sew for, bake with, talk about movies and books with... clothes, make up, hair... a dream come true." Esme sighed happily and went to find her husband.

Carlisle and Esme had a wonderful time shopping for the new baby. They hit every baby store in town and filled the car with more than enough stuff to keep any baby happy and healthy! They had discussed paint colors, furniture and curtains. They argued over whether a baby wipe warmer was a necessity, or not, and they were both stumped as to what kind of bottles and nipples to choose from the dozens available. At the end of their trip, they wearily, but happily drove home in a comfortable silence, holding hands and exchanging warm, loving looks as they enjoyed their own visions of what the next few days would be like.


	3. Boxes & Bags

3.

Boxes and Bags

After quite a few trips up and down the stairs, the spare bedroom was filled with boxes and bags.

Carlisle shook his head in amusement, "Gosh, My Sweet, I don't think we have enough stuff for the baby."

"I know, My Reason, this is just to get her started", Esme said with a grin.

They had bought the cutest, little bassinet to keep in their room until the baby was a little older. It was white with pink ribbon accents and Esme couldn't wait to get the bedding washed so she could get it ready. There were little pink hearts on the white sheet and pink hearts and teddy bears on the tiny comforter. It was just adorable!

They had also bought 2 gallons of 'Chrystal Mauve' paint, curtains and bedding in white eyelet lace and the prettiest oak furniture with a crib that converted into a double bed for later. There were fuzzy light, pink rugs to go on the hardwood floor, a wooden rocking chair with a soft, blush-colored upholstered seat and back, and a pink, eyelet lace diaper holder. There were bottles, undershirts, tiny socks, blankets, sleepers and even a baby wipe warmer.

They had shopped for hours, and the rocking chair had barely fit in the SUV, but Esme was just too excited to wait to buy what they needed. They would have plenty of time to decorate the spare room for the baby, and the rest of the furniture would be delivered in a few days, but she just had to have the rocker today.

Carlisle's stomach rumbled. "Es, I am exhausted and hungry. How about we gather the boys and go out for some dinner? We have definitely earned it!"

"OK. Can you call Lynnette while I freshen up?"

"Sure. I'll have her send the boys home."

Esme went through their room into the master bathroom. She gazed at her face in the mirror. She couldn't believe how vibrant and alive her face looked. Just a few days ago, she had looked in the mirror and had been slightly shocked at how dull and tired her face had looked. Now she was simply glowing! "What a difference a day can make!" she thought with a grin.

She washed her face and hands and ran a brush through her hair. "Just think," she said to herself. "This time tomorrow, I am going to have a daughter!"

She let out a little squeal of happiness and ran lightly down the stairs to find 3 freshly-washed men looking up at her. Lynnette had cleaned up the boys and Carlisle had done a quick clean-up in the downstairs bath and they were all ready to go.

The four Cullens climbed into Carlisle's black Mercedes and drove to the local family restaurant. They had a wonderful meal and chattered about what the boys had done at the Hales' and how excited everyone was to see the new baby.

Soon, they were all finished eating and Emmette yawned. Esme looked at him with such love. He and Edward had given her the strength to keep going after losing the baby. When she came home from the hospital, Emmette had looked at her with eyes full of tears and said, "Mommy, I'm sorry that our baby couldn't come home with you. Ms. Lynn says she's an angel now and we gotta' let her fly." A tear had run down his cheek before he continued, "You know, angels got really big wings and, if they don't use 'em, they fall off." She had chuckled and told Emmette that he was right and she would try to be brave. Then Edward had said, "Me, too!", and they had both hugged her.

That was over a year ago and they had both grown so much since then! She couldn't believe how much! Her three men were all she needed, and she had tried to be satisfied with what she had, but every once in a while, she would think about what it would be like to have her daughter with her, and the sadness would engulf her again. Her chest would ache like her heart was twisting and the tears would fall, the only relief for the ache, but the cause of a new ache, as she would then see the sadness in her men's eyes, as well.

Now, she would know what she had been missing and she couldn't wait until morning. She didn't think she would be able to sleep, but after she got the boys bathed and tucked in, she crawled into the cozy bed with Carlisle, cuddled up to him and gave him a soft, loving kiss. He kissed her back and stroked his hand up her arm, but before he could even utter a word, he chuckled as he realized that she had passed out cold.

The sun was streaming through the window as Carlisle slowly opened his eyes. He smiled at how rested and happy he felt. Turning toward Esme, he paused noticing the empty space where she should've been.

"Where has that woman got off to?" he laughed. She was never up before him and he knew she must be too excited to sleep. What she was doing is what had him worried, though. If he knew Esme, she was up to no good!

Smiling to himself, he got out of bed and headed out into the hallway. Sure enough, the door to the spare room was open and the light was on. Pausing in the doorway, he stopped to admire his gorgeous wife. She was busy unpacking boxes and bags, softly humming to herself. He moved into the room and she glanced up with a guilty smile.

"Oh! Honey, you gave me a fright! What are you doing up?"

"Esmerelda Cullen," he said sternly, trying not to smile. "What did we discuss last night?"

"I know, Carlisle! But I couldn't sleep and there is so much to do!" She wouldn't quite meet his eyes as he took her in his arms. He slipped his hand under her chin and brought her eyes up to his. She returned his grin and hugged him. He hugged her and pulled back. "There is plenty of time to go through all of this stuff. Just remember tonight, when our new daughter calls, that you should have listened to your doctor husband's advice and gotten as much sleep as you could."

She grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, like I'll be tired tonight, either! Right now, I have so much energy, I could paint the whole nursery myself!"

"Ha! No way! Get in the kitchen, Woman, and I'll make us some breakfast." He turned her toward the door with his arm still around her shoulders. "You do know that I love you, right?" he whispered.

"Yes," she sighed. She looked up at him and he gasped. She looked exactly as she had the first time he had seen her in high school. Her face glowed with happiness and good health, but now love brightened the glow. "I love you, too, My Life."

Could two people ever deserve such happiness? They made their way down to the kitchen. They chatted as Carlisle started the coffee and Esme pulled out oatmeal and fruit. They never lacked for conversation, but today there was much to talk about and they lost themselves in each other.


	4. It's a Girl!

4.

Its a Girl!

Esme was practically dancing as she and Carlisle made their way up to the Neonatal floor of the hospital. He had known that she just had to see the baby before anything else, so they had left early for the hospital. They were to meet with the social worker and their attorney in about 30 minutes, so there was plenty of time for a cuddle.

Esme slowed down as they neared the nursery window. She raised wide eyes to Carlisle's and he saw the doubt in them.

"Esme? Darling, you are not getting cold feet on me, are you?" He took her into his arms. "OK. You are being silly. Whatever is causing this anxiety of yours has to stop. You are the most wonderful woman in the world and you are a terrific mom."

"What if she doesn't like me?"

Carlisle threw back his head and laughed at her silliness. "What am I going to do with you, My Heart? She will love you so much her little heart will overflow with it. Once you see how much she needs you, you will have no doubt that she belongs with us. Now, no more worries! Let's go see our daughter."

He gathered her against his side and they walked toward the window. Esme looked through the reinforced glass and saw that there were four babies in the nursery. All of the babies looked pink and healthy, but they were all wrapped in blue blankets. Esme looked up at Carlisle and he wordlessly pointed to the back of the room. There, she could make out a tiny, pink-wrapped bundle in a hospital bassinet sitting next to one of the several rocking chairs.

"She's waiting for you, Love."

Carlisle took her soft, cool hand in his and silently led her toward the nursery door. It opened without a sound and Esme found herself floating toward the back of the warm, softly-lit room. There, lay the tiniest, most beautiful baby she had ever seen. Her perfect little features were serene in sleep, and, as Esme bent over to pick her up, her tiny, rosebud mouth opened and let out a little 'mewing' sound. Esme looked at Carlisle again and smiled.

"Oh, Darling! She's perfect! A little doll!"

"Go ahead. Pick her up."

Esme bent and gathered the slight bundle into her arms. The baby let out another little mewing sound and scrunched up her adorable button nose. Esme sat in the rocking chair and the baby snuggled right down into her embrace. She let out a little sigh and opened up her large, dark blue eyes.

The baby and the woman gazed at each other for several minutes, just enjoying getting to know one another. The world around them seemed to disappear and all they knew was each other.

"Carlisle?" Esme finally broke away from the baby's stare. "I am in love. What should we name her?"

She looked up at her husband with all of the love she felt in her heart. This man, this wonderful man, always knew exactly what to do to make her the happiest woman in all the world and now, he had not only given her everything she had ever wanted, he had also given a darling, little abandoned baby a safe and loving home. She felt so overwhelmed with emotion that she started to sob.

Carlisle smiled down at her and shook his head. She had the softest, most loving heart of anyone he had ever met. How had he been so lucky to love and be loved by her? He pulled out a clean handkerchief and handed it to his wife. She took it with an apologetic smile and wiped her eyes.

"I know I am silly, Carlisle, but I just can't help it."

"Esme, you are you, and you are perfect. No matter what, I love you and I only want you to be happy. Now, let's let this little angel nap while we go to my office and sign some papers."

Esme stood up and gently laid the tiny baby back in the bassinet. The baby frowned slightly in protest and stuck out her lower lip.

"Oh! Look at that pout! She is going to have you and the boys wrapped around her little finger in no time!" Esme laughed.

Carlisle sighed and looked toward the ceiling. "Great! Now I'll have two beautiful women that I won't be able to say no to."

He and Esme embraced and then walked out of the nursery and down the hall to his office.

Their attorney was walking up to Carlisle's office as he and Esme came around the corner. Robert Rendall had met Carlisle and Jackson at Northwestern. He was a little over six feet tall with shiny, mahogany brown hair and wore a chocolate-brown suit that perfectly matched his deep, chocolate eyes.

"Hi Robert!" Carlisle called. "Thanks for coming over on such short notice."

Robert grinned, shook hands with Carlisle and gave Esme a brief hug. "No problem, Man. You know I'm always available for you. Did either of you get any sleep last night?" He said, knowingly smiling at Esme.

"Actually, I slept like the dead until 4:30 this morning. Then I was just too excited! I can't believe this is happening!" Esme smiled back, walking ahead of the men into the office.

Carlisle's office was a typical man's room. Medium oak paneling covered the walls, a huge, dark wood desk took up the center of the room, a large brown leather chair on one side and two dark upholstered chairs on the other. The surface of the desk held stacks of files, a phone and various office equipment. On the corner behind the phone, there were several pictures of Esme and the boys and also Carlisle's mom and the Hales.

Carlisle walked over to the window to open the blinds and gestured for them to sit down. He then pulled another chair over to the desk and sat next to Esme. Esme smoothed her charcoal gray skirt as they both turned to Robert. Carlisle asked him if there had been any problems with the paperwork.

"No. Actually, it was easier than usual. It seems no one has any idea where this baby came from. There is no video of her being left in the E.R. and there were no identifying items on her. She was simply diapered and wrapped in a towel. She was clean and seemed fed, but, at only a few hours old, and a preemie at that, she was having a hard time breathing. Maybe someone was trying to cover-up her birth, or they felt they just couldn't handle her medical needs. We may never know. Either way, the law has declared her officially abandoned and available for permanent adoption. Since she has been deemed healthy and released from further medical care, all we need is to sign the papers and meet with the social worker. Pretty cut and dried."

"Wonderful! Well, we are certainly ready for her at home." Carlisle smiled and Robert raised a brow.

"Let me guess, you and Esme went shopping yesterday?" He and Carlisle had joked about Esme's shopping jaunts before.

"Hey!! I'm not that bad!!" she laughed. "You men just don't appreciate the fine art of the sale!"

"Well, I may have to pull a double shift for a while after what we spent yesterday!" Carlisle grinned. He loved teasing her just to see the flash in her eyes and the blush on her soft cheeks.

"Robert laughed. "You two crack me up! Some day, I hope I find someone I connect with, half as well as you two do!" He shook his head as they gave him sorrowful looks. "Hey! I'm fine! Don't feel sorry for me! I have several lady friends, thank you very much. When I'm ready to settle down, you two'll be the first to know!"

They shared a chuckle and turned as they heard someone at the open door.

Carlisle and Robert stood to welcome the woman who they assumed was the social worker. She was a little taller than Esme and, where Esme was petite and very slender, the woman was sturdier and curvier. Her sandy-blonde hair was pulled back into a twist, and her light-brown eyes shown an open friendliness.

"Welcome!" exclaimed Carlisle, reaching out to shake her hand. "You must be Ms. Windham."

"Yes. Thank you. Its nice to meet you, Dr. Cullen."

"Carlisle, please." he said, and drew Esme slightly forward. "This is my wife, Esme, and this is our dear friend, and attorney, Robert Rendall."

Ms. Windham shook first Esme, and then Robert's hands. She smiled and said, "Nice to meet you both. Please call me, Nicole."

Esme glanced up at Robert's face and grinned. He looked stunned. "Hmmm," she thought. "Maybe it won't be so long before he settles down, after all."

Robert slightly shook his head as though to wake himself up and offered Nicole his seat. Carlisle shared a smile with Esme and asked Robert to feel welcome to sit in his chair behind the desk.

When everyone was seated, Nicole took some papers out of her case and explained the details of state adoption procedures to the others. Robert added a few comments here and there and, before they knew it, they were signing the papers that would add a daughter to their family.

"Well, guys, I guess congratulations are in order," Robert said as he stood to leave. "Its a girl!" He grinned and handed the three other people a cigar.

Esme laughed and put the wrapped cigar in her mouth. "Thank you, Robert! That was very thoughtful."

Nicole laughed and put hers in her mouth, also. "I've never tried one before, but they smell good." She looked at Esme, wriggled her eyebrows and said, "What's up, Doc?"

The men watched the women laughing and then Carlisle gave Robert a knowing smile. "She fits right in, huh?"

Robert smirked at Carlisle and added, "Sure does. Wonder if she's got anyone at home?"

They chuckled and Robert asked Nicole if he could walk her to her car. They bid the Cullens good-bye and walked out the door.

"Well, My Reason, shall we go and collect out daughter?"

"We should, My Universe." Esme smiled as Carlisle put his arm around her waist and locked the door. Walking down the hall, it was all Esme could do not to break into a run. She was more than ready to bring her baby home.


	5. Bringing Baby Home

5.

Bringing Baby Home

As Carlisle pulled into their driveway, Emmette, Edward and Jasper came bursting out of the front door, followed closely by Jackson, Rosalie and Lynnette. Esme was seated in the back with the baby and she leaned over to undo the straps of the carseat. Carlisle opened the back door and helped Esme out. She held the baby tight to her chest and warned the boys to be careful.

"Boys! Boys! Slow down! I know you're excited, but you don't want me to accidentally drop the baby."

The boys stopped running and walked carefully toward Esme. Rosalie skipped ahead of her parents and the four children all looked curiously at the bundle tucked safely in Esme's arms.

Esme bent slightly so they could all see the baby's face and they all crowded around. The baby was sleeping peacefully and her little mouth was pursed and moving in a sucking motion.

"Oh!" Breathed Jasper. "She is so bootiful! I will patect her and love her forever." he vowed.

The other two boys laughed at him and Emmette gave him a little push. "Jasper loves a girl! Jasper loves a girl!"

Esme straightened up and rolled her eyes. Carlisle and Jackson laughed, and Lynnette smiled at her son and said, "Its OK, sweetheart. We will all love her and look after her. She is part of our family now."

Jasper smiled back at his mom and then stuck his tongue out at Emmette. Emmette let out a whoop and the three of them tore out for the back yard.

Rosalie looked up at her dad. "Well, at least they brought home a girl this time. I don't think I could put up with another boy. Those three are enough." And, with that, she walked back into the house. The four adults looked at each other with stunned expressions and then burst out laughing. The boys didn't stand a chance!

The Hales stayed for about an hour after Esme and Carlisle had arrived with the baby. They both took a turn holding her and Jackson exclaimed that she had the most serene face he had ever seen. "Rose was born carrying on, and she hasn't stopped! I don't think she has ever looked this content."

Lynnette oohed when she removed the baby's hat and saw the ink black, wispy curls that covered the little head. When the baby opened her sapphire eyes, she exclaimed, "Oh my! Esme, she has darker hair than Emmette, and look at those eyes! Carlisle is gonna' have to beat the boys off with a club!"

Emmette got to feed the baby her first bottle and Edward got to help change her diaper. Rosalie picked out a clean sleeper for her to wear and helped with her bath, but Jasper just watched them all.

"Jasper, don't you want to help with the baby?" Esme gently asked him.

"I am, Ms. Esme. I'm watchin' to make sure she's safe."

Esme smiled and tousled his bright hair. "You are going to be a wonderful big brother, Jasper. Thank you for loving her so much."

"I do love her and I will keep her safe forever, cuz Mr. Carlisle sez that's what big brothers do."

He watched as Esme laid the baby in her new bassinet and covered her with the blanket. Then he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep good, Baby. Don't worry cuz we will take good care of you."

Esme made sure the baby monitor was on and she and Jasper quietly left the room.

"Ms. Esme?" Said Jasper, slipping his hand into her's.

"Yes?" She answered, giving his hand a squeeze.

"We should think of a name for our baby cuz we can't just call her 'Baby'. The other kids will make fun of her."

"You're right, Jasper." Esme smiled. "What do you think we should name her?"

"Well, I don't know lots of girl's names, but we gotta' think of one fast. I like Tinkerbell cuz she gots such pretty blue eyes. Do you think that's a good one?"

"Its a beautiful name, Jas, but since your mommy's cat's name is Tinkerbell, we might get them mixed up, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah. Hmmmmmmm… well, Mr. Carlisle is smart. Let's make him think of one."

"OK, let's go ask him."

"OK. Come on. Let's go."

They found Carlisle in his office and asked if they could talk to him for a minute.

"Sure. What can I do for you?" He grinned looking at Esme.

"Well, Jasper is very concerned that our baby doesn't have a name and he thinks you are smart enough to think of one."

Jasper nodded and looked so serious that Carlisle couldn't help but grin. "Jasper, you're right. We better find her a name, huh?"

"Yes, Mr. Carlisle. You can't just call her, 'Baby'. What'll happen when she's big? You can't call a big kid, 'Baby'. She won't like it! An' we can't call her, Tinkerbell, 'cuz that's mommy's cat's name."

"Hmmmmmm. This is serious."

"I know," agreed a big-eyed Jasper.

"Well, she kind of looks like Snow White with her dark hair and blue eyes," teased Carlisle, who grinned when Jasper shook his head.

"Naw, cuz Ms. Esme ain't a evil stepmother. Snow White didn't have a nice mommy, so she can't be her."

Jasper was thinking so hard that Carlisle decided to give the little tyke a break. Still grinning, he said, "How about if we give her a name in the morning? That way we won't be tired and we can make sure its a good one."

Jasper looked doubtful, "Well… OK… but I hope she don't get mad when she wakes up and she still don't have no name."

"Would you like to spend the night, Jasper?" asked Esme. "Then you can help us pick out the perfect name in the morning."

"I should," he said, much to the Cullens' amusement. "She might need me while everyone's sleepin'." Then he let out a sigh like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Carlisle couldn't help it. He laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. He had a soft spot for Jasper as it was, he was such an adorable little monkey, always so serious and thoughtful, but now, as his daughter's protector, he couldn't love the little guy more if he were his own son.

"Let's get you to bed, young man. Its a big job keeping the baby safe AND thinking of a name for her. You're going to need to give your brain some sleep."

"I know! My brain is so tired it can't keep my eyes open. See?" Jasper opened his eyes as wide as he could and looked up at Carlisle. Then he squinted them tight when he couldn't keep them open any longer.

Carlisle and Esme both chuckled as they led Jasper out of the office and up the stairs. They looked at each other over the boy's head and smiled, knowing they were officially the two luckiest people in the world.


	6. What's in a Name?

6.

What's in a Name?

Esme was exhausted. It had taken forever to get the boys to sleep. She had gone in their room three times before they finally quieted enough to pass out. Her and Carlisle had put a twin bed and a set of bunk beds in the large room so that all three boys could share until they got older. Sometimes she wondered at the intelligence behind that decision, but she hadn't wanted any of the boys to feel left out. As for Rosalie, she rarely wanted to sleep over and, on those occasions when the Cullens kept the Hale kids over to give their parents a break. She wanted to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms by herself because, as she put it, "Those darn boys are always keeping me awake."

After all was quiet, Esme had checked the lock on the front door one more time and crept wearily to bed. No sooner had her eyes drifted shut, when she heard the smallest mewing sound. Her beautiful new daughter was making her presence known, and that she was hungry.

Esme scooped the tiny body up against her chest and made her way down to the kitchen. She had set up a few bottles after dinner so she'd have them during the night, and she set one in a pan of hot water to warm. While she waited, she gazed down at her daughter's perfect little face.

She had never seen a newborn with such perfect skin and features. Her skin was smooth and flawless. There wasn't a blotch or rough patch anywhere. Her features were perfectly balanced and petite, and her eyes were a clear sapphire blue surrounded by dark, thick lashes. She had slightly arched brows that matched her hair exactly, and her lips were rosy and pouty.

"Its almost as if she isn't real," thought Esme.

She had seen a doll once at a craft fair that appeared to be a real baby. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was a hand-painted doll that was so beautiful she had felt like weeping. It had only been a couple months since the miscarriage, and she had made her excuses and gone home. Now she remembered that day and felt as though she would wake up any minute and realize this had all been a dream.

She looked down at the baby once more and saw that her perfect skin was now a rosy, red color and her eyes and nose were all scrunched up. Her little pink mouth was in the shape of an 'O' and, "Whaaaaaaa!" Just like that, she let Esme know that she was no doll.

Esme chuckled to herself as she tested the milk on her wrist. She popped the nipple in the pink 'O' and the baby immediately started sucking greedily. Esme laughed again and wandered into the living room. She sat in her favorite arm chair and began to hum as the baby ate. A peaceful feeling came over her and she felt a contentment she hadn't felt since Edward was a baby.

"What in the world should we name you, Little One?"

It didn't seem appropriate to name her any of the names she and Carlisle had come up with when she was pregnant with their little girl. They had narrowed it down to two names right before she had miscarried, and so they had named the baby both of them.

Emily Elizabeth had been laid to rest in a tiny white box next to Esme's mother. Now, the other four, or so, names they had debated, came back to haunt her. They had all started with an 'E' in the tradition of Emmette and Edward, but she needed something different for this baby. Something all her own.

Lost in thought, the book on the table next to her, caught her eye. It was the story she had read to the boys before bed the night before.

'Alice, in Wonderland', she read. "Alice…" she thought, looking down at the baby again. "Hmmmmmm."

The sun was streaming through the frilly, yellow sheers when Esme opened her eyes. She looked to her left and saw that Carlisle was already up. She then looked to her right to see that the baby was gone, too.

"Bless his heart," she thought. "Carlisle is an angel, for sure."

She climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. After a quick shower and some fresh clothes, she felt renewed with excitement at the day before her. Nearing the kitchen, she could hear the chatter of young voices. All eyes turned to her as she entered the room and made her way towards Carlisle.

"Good morning, Sunshine." He said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then looked down at the baby and said, "I see you have taken to Daddy Duty very well this morning." Turning to look at the boys, she continued, "You managed to feed the Three Musketeers and Baby Alice all without making a big mess or waking me up. Thank you, My Dear."

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he grinned, "The Three 'Stooges' are being exceptionally good this morning, and Baby Alice… Alice?" He looked at her with surprise. "When did you decide this?" He laughed.

"At about 2:00 this morning when I was giving her a bottle and trying to keep my eyes open. It just fits, doesn't it?" She gave him a worried look. "Its just a thought. If you don't like it…"

"No! No. Its a beautiful name. I think it fits her! What do you think, boys? Isn't Alice a good name for our baby girl?"

The three boys looked thoughtful for a second and Emmette, ever the leader, said, "Alice is a great name, Daddy!"

"Yep!" said Edward. "Our baby's name is Alice! Just like Alice in Wonderland!"

Carlilse looked at the frown on Jasper's face. "Uh oh", he whispered to Esme. "One of the Stooges doesn't look happy." Esme smiled and nudged him with her elbow.

Then the third stooge's face brightened a little. "Alice…" he said as though he were tasting the name. "She doesn't look like Alice in the book… but… well, I like our Alice better."

All three boys then started chattering excitedly and Carlisle smiled at Esme. "Well, I guess its official then. Alice, it is."

"Alice Anelle. What do you think? It means honest and graceful."

"Its beautiful, Esme. It sounds like a poem. Alice Anelle Cullen. Perfect."

"I'm so glad you like it, Carlisle. It just kind of came to me out of the blue. I saw the 'Alice in Wonderland' book that I read to the boys last night and, it just, I don't know, fit."


	7. Buy Me a Shotgun

7.

Buy Me a Shotgun

"Dad! Alice is taking all of my Legos!"

"Edward! Get those away from her! She could swallow one!"

Carlisle ran to the little girl and pried the toy out of her hand. She started to cry and Carlisle looked over at Edward. "Son, you have to be more careful. Alice is still a baby and she puts everything in her mouth. If she were to swallow one of your blocks, she could choke or get it stuck in her tummy. That would not be good at all.

"Edward,you're not very good at keeping her safe by letting her get your Legos." Jasper said as he walked toward them across the grass. When he reached the patio, he gave Edward a grim look. "I can't leave you for five minutes and you let her get in danger. You have to be more careful. We are her big brothers. If we don't protect her, who will?"

Carlisle always got a kick out of how serious Jasper was. At only 5 years old, the boy was an old soul and, though he could romp with the best of them, namely Emmette, he always seemed to approach life thoughtfully and with a plan.

"She's OK, guys. She's just mad because I took it away from her, but she could be in serious danger if we didn't catch her in time. I'll take her inside, but keep an eye on her next time, OK, Edward?"

"OK, Dad. I don't want anything bad to happen to Alice."

"I know you don't, son. We just have to always make sure that the baby is safe. We did the same thing for all of you kids when you were little. Rosalie and Emmette had to keep their small toys picked up when you and Jasper were babies, too."

"Not baby!" cried Alice, stomping her tiny foot. At almost two years old, she was a handful. Sweet as can be, but full of energy. She gave her parents and brothers a run for their money. They all loved her dearly, though, and she could do no wrong in their eyes. Her brothers, especially, thought the sun rose and set on their baby sister. Her parents tried in vain to keep her from being spoiled but, between the Cullens and the Hales, it was a difficult task. Even Rosalie catered to the tiny, dark-haired girl. All she had to do was look at you with those huge, dark blue eyes and stick out that soft, pink bottom lip, and you were lost. She was adorable, and she knew it.

"No, Alice. You are a big girl now." Agreed Jasper bending down to smile into her face. "Don't be mad. We are just taking care of you cuz we are your big brothers."

"Not bubba!" Alice yelled and pointed at Jasper.

Jasper felt tears come to his eyes but he didn't want Edward to see and call him a sissy, so he blinked hard several times and stood up. He always felt bad when Alice said he wasn't her brother, but he knew she was just a baby and didn't understand.

Alice patted his hand softly and said, "Lubba" and ran away giggling. He smiled. She was a little stinker, as his dad always said, and she kept them all busy. He could get so mad at her sometimes but, all she had to do was smile at him or say 'Love ya', and he couldn't stay mad.

Carlisle went running after Alice and grabbed her up as Jackson and Lynnette walked up.

"Keepin' ya' busy dere, Pardner?" Jackson drawled and laughed.

Lynnette chuckled and playfully slapped him on the arm. "Jack, be nice. Poor Carlisle looks beat."

"I am." said Carlisle. "This little angel has kept me on my toes all morning!"

Alice giggled as he kissed her belly. He set her down and she stuck two fingers in her mouth and scampered back over by the boys. She pushed Jaspers hands away from the Legos and plopped down on his lap. He kissed the top of her head and started singing softly in her ear. Alice yawned and relaxed against Jasper's chest and her lashes started to flutter.

"Someone looks like they're ready for a nap," laughed Esme, coming out onto the patio with a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses.

"No nap." breathed Alice, but her lids finally closed. She was breathing heavy by the time Esme crossed the patio to lift her out of Jasper's lap. He looked up and shared a sweet smile with Esme before she took the baby into the house for her nap.

"I swear that boy can calm her just by saying her name." marveled Carlisle, looking at Jasper.

"He just has a way with her, " agreed Lynnette, "He took to her the day you brought her home."

"And she to him," chuckled Jackson. "I hope he grows more of a backbone with her before she gets much older, though, or she'll be gettin' him in a whole heap o' trouble! Ole' Carlisle'll be chasin' him with a shotgun!"

Jackson clapped Carlisle on the back as he laughed. Carlisle, on the other hand, looked somewhat stricken.

"Now what did you say to my husband, Jackson Hale?" Esme admonished playfully as she stepped back out of the house. "He looks like he's just seen a ghost!"

Lynnette shook her head, "I think Carlisle just saw his future and it didn't look pretty."

"Oh, dear!" laughed Esme. "Do I want to know?"

"It had to do with Ali, Jas and a shotgun." cracked Jackson.

"Jackson Hale! Couldn't you give him a few more years before you get him worrying about that? She's not even two yet, for crying out loud!"

The three of them turned laughing eyes toward Carlisle. He still had a stunned look on his face. "You just had to have a girl, didn't you, Esme? Here I am, looking at the boy I think of as a son in a whole new light, and on top of that, now I've got to buy a shotgun!"

He looked over at Jasper playing with Edward and smiled at the bright, blonde child. "Alice could sure do a lot worse," he thought. "A lot worse!" he shuddered, and joined the other adults for some of Esme's famous lemonade.


	8. Bossy Baby

8.

Bossy Baby

"Edwad!!! I wanna' culla, too!!"

"No, Alice! You are not using my crayons!! Last time you broke 'em."

"I not bwoke 'em!! Alwi good cullawa!! Edwad not nice! Nawdy Edwad!!"

Jasper laughed as he walked in the back door with his crayons.

"Jappa!! Jappa!!" cried Alice, as she ran over to Jasper. "Edwad be a mean!! He nawdy!!"

Jasper took off his coat and led her over to the table by the hand. "It's alright, Ali, you can color with me. OK?"

Alice smiled up at Jasper. " I lubba', Jappa!"

"I love you, too, Ali." He sat down in the chair across from Edward with Alice dancing from foot to foot. As he set his crayons and paper on the table, Alice was already trying to climb up into his lap. He reached down and lifted her up and she immediately reached for the crayons.

"Hang on, Ali!" laughed Jasper. "I have to open them for you."

Alice looked on with bright, excited eyes and clapped her hands.

"What color do you want?" Jasper asked her.

"Welwo!" she chirped!

Jasper handed her the yellow crayon and a piece of paper and she started to scribble.

"How can you understand her, Jas? questioned Edward.

"I don't know, Edward. I just do." Jasper shrugged.

Alice turned toward Jasper, reached her little hands up to cup his face and turned it towards hers. "No tawk a Edwad, Jappa! Onwe tawk a Alwi!"

Jasper looked down at her bright, adorable face and grinned. "OK, Ali. I won't talk to Edward."

"God! Do you have to do everything she says?" said Edward, throwing down his crayon. "I liked it better before she came. She's such a spoiled brat!"

"Not a bwat!! Edwad a bwat!!" she yelled as she pointed at Edward. She stuck her bottom lip out and her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, Ali. Don't cry." Edward sighed. He loved his little sister, but sometimes she made him so mad! She was always bossing Jasper around and he never said no! Sometimes he really wished it was like it was before she came. He and Jasper had done everything together. Now Jas was always looking after Alice.

Alice put her little hands up to her face and bowed her head. "Edwad no lubba Alwi." she sobbed. "He nebba be nice."

"Shhhhhh… Ali, you know that's not true." Jasper said, kissing the soft, dark curls on top of her head. "Edward loves you a lot. He's just having a bad day. Right, Edward?"

"I do love you, Ali." said Edward. "I'm sorry. Come here."

She looked up at him with huge, wet pansy eyes and said, "Say pwees…"

Edward just sighed and shook his head.

Jasper cracked up. "You can't win, Edward! You might as well give up!"

Alice looked up at him and smiled the smile of an angel.

* * *

Christmas was only a few days away. Esme and Lynnette were running around like the hens that Jackson always said they were.

"One more stop, Lynne, then I should be all done.

"OK, Esme. I have a couple more things to get myself. Do we need anything else for Christmas dinner?"

"No. I picked up the last things on the list yesterday. I do need to get some more wrapping paper, though."

"Don't bother. I have tons of it at my house. I'll bring some over for you when we get home. What about ribbons? I will probably have to pick up some more of them."

"Oh! I forgot about ribbons! Thank God you mentioned them." Esme pulled the SUV into the parking lot of the last store. "OK, maybe they will have them here. If not, I can ask Carlisle to get some on the way home."

Yeah, good idea! If not, maybe Jackson can get some tomorrow. He's off, but I'm not sure what his plans are yet."

This went on as the two women got out of the car. Esme opened the back door to get Alice out of her carseat as Lynnette grabbed a cart from a few spaces over.

Pushing the cart to Esme, Lynn asked, "You're really looking forward to Christmas this year, huh?"

"Its going to be so much fun with Ali being old enough to really enjoy it this year."

Both women looked at Ali sitting in the shopping cart. She was almost two and a half years old now and definitely had a mind of her own. Christmas should be a lot of fun this year!

Esme frowned a little. "I am a little worried about Edward, though. He has really been resenting the baby lately. He says that she gets all of the attention and he gets so mad. I try to be fair to all of the kids but, he doesn't understand that she is just a baby." Smiling at Ali, she added. "A really adorable one at that."

"Edward will come around. Its not your fault that everyone is charmed by our little angel here. He's just feeling the pressure of not being the baby any more. Of course, it doesn't help that Jas spends as much time with Ali as he does playing with Ed and Em. That boy is bewitched for sure!"

Both women laughed as they entered the store and Ali looked at both of them and smiled.

As she put the last item on her list in the cart, Esme noticed that Alice's eyes were getting a little droopy. "It looks like our angel is about done for the day."

"Aww! She's been so good. You couldn't ask for a better baby than our Ali."

Just then, they passed the aisle that contained the music CDs. Ali perked up and pointed down the aisle. When Esme started to pass it, she let out a screech and started to bounce in the seat.

"Looks like I spoke too soon." laughed Lynnette.

"What do you want, Ali? Use your words."

Alice calmed down and pointed again. "Edwad." she said. "Kiss miss pwesent."

"OK, Ali." Looking at Lynnette with raised brows, Esme turned the cart into the aisle. "Let's see where she goes with this."

Ali looked at all of the bright covers of the CDs until they reached the Instrumental section. She pointed to a piano CD and Esme picked it up. She looked at Lynnette again, "This is a CD of piano music Edward wants to learn. How did she know?"

They both looked at Ali who clapped her hands and said, "Edwad." and motioned for Esme to put it in the cart.

* * *

Christmas morning dawned bright and early. The Hales were coming over for dinner later, but the Cullens would see what Santa brought and then join them for breakfast. They had carried on this tradition since the first Christmas after building their homes. Carlisle's mom usually joined them and Jackson's parents, too. Esme's parents were deceased and Lynnette's had moved to Arizona years ago, usually visiting in the summer.

Carlisle bent over and kissed his bride. "My Darling? I think Santa has come and gone as I hear our children awaiting us anxiously in the living room."

Esme chuckled. "Already? Its barely light out." But she threw back the covers and got out of bed. Putting on her robe she followed Carlisle into the hallway.

"Not yet, Ali! We have to wait for Mom and Dad!" Emmett grabbed her around the waist and lifted her into the air. Alice giggled and spotted her parents coming down the stairs.

"Look, Mama! Pwesents fwom Santa!! Hewy, Daddy!" Emmett put her down and she ran to the bottom of the stairs. Carlisle swooped her up and walked over to where the boys were in the living room.

He set Alice down with a kiss and turned to the boys. "Merry Christmas, guys!" he said, giving each one a hug. Esme followed suit and settled down on the couch to watch the fun.

"Go ahead, Em. Will you find a gift for Ali to open first?"

"Sure, Dad! Here's one. To Alice, from Santa." he handed her the package.

Alice shook her head, "No pwesent fo Alwi. Got pwesent fo Edwad."

She looked and looked through the pile of presents under the beautifully decorated tree, throwing them aside until she found the one she wanted.

She looked up at Edward and put a finger in her mouth. She looked so cute in her purple footy Pjs, her blue eyes wide and dark curls tousled all over her head.

Walking over to Edward, she said, "Maywe Kiss miss, Edwad. I sowy I a bwat. I lubba."

Edward didn't know what to say as he took the gift from her tiny hand. He looked into her eyes and saw the tears beginning to form. "Oh, Ali. You're not a brat. I just get mad sometimes when you won't let me play with Jasper." He reached out and gave her a big hug. "I love you, too."

Ali pushed him away and pointed at the present. "Opa it, Edwa!"

He chuckled and shook his head. She was such a bossy baby, but so sweet. He ripped off the paper that she obviously had helped with and saw the CD. He looked up with a big smile. "Ali! Its the CD I wanted! Thank you so much!"

Alice grinned and threw herself at him. He caught her in a tight hug and kissed her soft cheek. "Maybe she wasn't so bad after all." he thought.

A half hour later, the living room looked like a tornado had hit it. Brightly-colored wrapping paper and gift boxes littered the floor and toys and clothes were strewn everywhere. Emmett played with a remote-controlled truck he had gotten and Edward was reading the back of a video game box.

Esme looked over the top of Alice's downy curls as she lay sleeping against her chest and smiled at her husband. "Thank you for the wonderful gifts, My Heart. I love them all."

"Thank you, as well, My Life. I don't know how you always know just what to get me. Everything is perfect." He leaned over a placed a soft kiss on her mouth. Looking down at the baby and then over at his boys he said, "This has been an exceptional morning and I feel truly blessed."

"As do I, My Love." Running a hand through the wayward curls on her daughter's small head, she sighed, "I suppose we should get dressed and go for breakfast huh? Do you think Lynn is ready for us?"

"I sure hope so, I am starving and I really need some coffee." He got up off the couch and took the sleeping baby from Esme. "How about I put Ali in her bed while the rest of us get dressed?"

"Good idea. A nap now, will make for a more pleasant later." She laughed.

"I know what you mean." he chuckled as he made his way over to the stairs.

"Come on, boys!" called Esme as she started to pick up the mess. "Let's get some of this cleaned up and then get ready to go for breakfast."

"Yeah!" agreed Edward. "I can't wait to show Jas my new video game!"

"Me, too!" said Emmett, gathering up an arm full of paper. "Mom, can we stay and play after breakfast if its okay with Ms. Lynn?"

"Yes, if its okay with Ms. Lynn." said Esme.

Coming back down the stairs, Carlisle told Esme and the boys to go ahead upstairs and he would finish cleaning up. He had gotten ready after putting Ali in her crib and knew that Esme would appreciate a shower before heading over to the Hales'.

Putting the last of the paper in the recycling bin, Carlisle heard the boys coming down the stairs. "Dad! Dad! Where are you?" called Emmett.

"By the garage door, Em! I'm just putting the recycling bin back."

Both boys raced into the kitchen. "Mom said we can go over to Jasper's now. Do you need us to help you first?"

"No, thank you, Edward. I'm all done. Do you want to carry some of the gifts over for me though?"

"Sure, Dad! We can handle that!"

"We'll get our boots and coats on, and come back, OK?

"Sounds good, Buddy." Carlisle said, ruffling Emmett's hair. They went to get their stuff on and Carlisle pulled the bags of gifts out of the closet. He took a couple packages out of each so they weren't as heavy for the boys and set them by the back door.

"We're ready!" called Emmett as he and Edward came back into the kitchen. "Our boots are dry so we won't make a mess."

"That's good. Here is a bag for each of you." Carlisle handed them each a large plastic bag with wrapped gifts in them. "Can you handle them?"

"We got 'em!"

"No problem, Dad!"

Out the door they went. Carlisle gathered the rest of the gifts into another bag and set them by the door. Then he went to give Esme a hand. Upstairs, he paused in the doorway of their room. After admiring Esme's shiny hair and healthy, good looks, he smiled and told her he would get Alice ready.

"Thank you, Darling. I laid out an outfit for her on the changing table."

Down the hallway, he looked into his daughter's room. She appeared to be still asleep. He hoped she wouldn't be crabby when he woke her. She could be pretty fussy when she was tired. He walked over to the crib and a pair of bright, blue eyes peeked up at him.

"Well, hello there, Bright Eyes! Are you ready to go see Jasper and eat?"

"I lub Jappa!" She jumped up and held out her arms. Carlisle picked her up and she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. Kissing him on the cheek she said, "I lub you, too, Daddy!"

Carlisle looked Heavenward. "Lord, please protect us from extra adorable angels." He knew he was in trouble. The next 20 years should prove interesting, to say the least.


	9. Big Girl Now?

9.

Big Girl Now?

Esme sat in her chair in the living room and looked lost.

"Esme, what's wrong, Love?" Said Carlisle from his chair a few feet away.

"I just can't believe Alice is starting school tomorrow. Where has the time gone?"

She looked over at the pictures of all the kids on the wall. "The boys will be going away to college any day now and Alice will announce that she's getting married, and they will all leave us!" muttered Esme.

Carlisle chuckled, "Honestly, Es, sometimes you are so dramatic. And Alice is going to college. She'll get married first, over my dead body!"

"They are just growing up way too fast, Carlisle," snapped Esme, "And you just sit there and laugh at me. What am I going to do when they no longer need me? I haven't worked in years and I have no idea if I'm qualified for anything any more."

"They will aways need you, My Pet, and so will I. Besides, Alice is only starting Kindergarten. She will be home every day by lunchtime." He laughed again. "It'll be a long time before she comes to us and announces that she's getting married. You have plenty of time to be needed."

"Ha ha! Easy for you to say. You don't see how fast they're outgrowing their clothes! Plus, you are among grown-ups every day. I don't know if I even remember how to talk to grown-ups."

Carlisle set his book aside and went over to her. Catching her hands in his, he lifted her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. Kissing her on her worried forehead, he said, "Esme, have I not told you enough how perfect you are? If you spoke only Pig Latin, everyone you meet would still be enchanted in your presence."

Esme playfully slapped his arm, "Now who's being dramatic?"

Carlisle threw back his head and laughed, "Come on, My Life, let's go make sure Alice doesn't have Jasper climbing up a ladder outside her window, planning to elope."

"Carlisle! Bite your tongue! I want my only daughter to have a big, beautiful wedding with all of her family and friends."

Carlisle shook his head and clutched one hand over his heart while leading Esme up the stairs with the other. "You, My Darling, will be the death of me yet."

* * *

The next morning, Esme put on a happy face as she helped Alice get ready for her first day of school. She brushed out her long, dark hair and put a pink headband in place to match her pink jumper.

"Mommy?" said Alice, rubbing her tummy. "What if nobody likes me?"

"Alice! Everyone will like you! Why are you worried about that?"

"Edward says I'm a brat, but I don't mean to be. What if I am a brat and the other kids don't like me?"

"Well, Honey, just be yourself and play nice with the other kids. You are a sweet girl. You are not a brat. Edward just says that because he doesn't want to share Jasper with you. I'm sure you will have a lot of friends."

"OK, Mommy." said Alice, but she didn't look convinced.

Edward and Emmette were already in the kitchen eating bowls of cereal when Esme entered the kitchen. "Edward, please stop calling your sister a brat. She is so worried that the other kids won't like her, that her tummy hurts."

"Geeze, Mom, I only call her that when she's being a pain. I don't mean she's a brat all the time."

"Edward! You do call her a brat all the time!!" added Emmette.

"She thinks she's so cute that we should let her do whatever she wants and not get mad at her," complained Edward. "She's always bossing Jasper and me around and she won't let us play without bugging us."

"Well, she is cute! I don't ever get mad at her and she follows me and Rosie around all the time!" said Emmett. "You're just jealous cuz Jas wants to play with Ali more than you!"

"No, he doesn't! He's just being nice. He doesn't want to hurt her feelings!"

"Guys! Guys! Enough! Alice is just a little girl. Give her a break, huh? You both have tons of friends and she's been all alone here while you were at school. You guys, and Jasper and Rosalie, are all she has. Help her out today and make her feel safe, OK?"

"OK, Mom." said Emmette.

"Geeze! We gotta' take care of her at school now, too?"

"Edward Anthony Cullen! Be the good, thoughtful boy I know you are, and be nice to your sister. She is scared because she has never been to school before. You'll only have to help her the first few days."

"I'll try. She just gets on my nerves. Plus, I don't want my friends seeing me hanging out with a baby. I'll help her if she needs me to, but Jasper and I don't want her hanging out with us and our friends."

"She won't have to, Ed," said Emmette. "I'm sure she'll have her own friends in a day, or two."

"Besides, Edward, Emmett helped you out at first and he never once complained about it. You are being selfish! Alice is a sweet girl and she will have her own friends and not want to hang out with you any way.

"I sure hope so!" sighed Edward.

In the hallway, Alice stood stiff against the wall with tears in her eyes. "I'll show him!" she thought. "I won't ask him, or Jasper, to help me at all! If no one likes me, I'll just pretend I don't care. I'm a big girl now! I can do anything they can do!" She scrubbed her eyes with her little fists and walked into the kitchen, too upset to eat breakfast.

* * *

Alice began to get even more nervous as she and her mom entered her new classroom. Esme had brought the kids for their first day so she could meet Alice's teacher and let her know that she was available to volunteer if she needed her.

As soon as they had entered the building, Emmette, Jasper and Edward had taken off to find their first classes, and Rosalie had stopped to greet a group of friends. Alice was so happy that she had her mom with her. She would never admit it to Edward, but she was very scared.

Her teacher was really nice and, the other kids all looked nice, too. She saw all of the art supplies and toys and thought that, maybe, things would be okay. Her mom and the teacher were talking and she went over by the bookshelf. A bright yellow book caught her eye but, when she started to pull it out, a girl with yellow hair grabbed it from her.

"I am going to look at this book." she said. Handing another book to Alice, she continued, "You can look at this one."

"But I want to look at the yellow one. Maybe we can share."

"I'm not sharing it, so there!" the yellow-haired girl said. "If you want it, you're just gonna' have to wait." And she flounced away.

Alice was not used to being treated this way, but she tried to ignore it. She didn't want anyone to think she was a brat. Besides, there were a lot of other kids in the class, she would just stay away from the mean one with yellow hair.

She walked back over to her mom, who was still talking to the teacher.

"She's so small." The teacher said, "Does she need any special help?"

"Not really, unless something is too high for her to reach. She's really smart and usually figures out how to help herself."

"OK, we'll see how things go. I'm sure she'll be fine. Now, you say you are available to volunteer on Wednesdays?"

Alice looked around the room. All of the other kids were bigger than her. She looked at her hand, then her foot, "Why am I smaller than them?" she thought. She had never noticed before. All of the kids at home were older than her and she hadn't been around any other kids her age.

* * *

"Alice! Hurry up! We're gonna' miss the bus!"

"Alright, Edward! I'm coming!"

Alice grabbed her book bag and ran down the stairs. Edward was waiting by the front door. He held out his hand and she took it, stopping to give Esme a kiss good-bye as she walked up to see them off.

"Have a good day, Kids!!" she called as they both ran across the front lawn toward Jasper who waited by the road. "I'll be waiting for you at the bus stop after school, Ali!"

"OK, Mom!" Ali yelled, and, looking down the street, they joined Jasper to walk to the end of the block to catch the bus.

Alice was so excited! She had never ridden the bus before. Only the big kids had gotten to ride the bus and now it was her turn!

Emmett and Rosalie were already at the bus stop talking to some friends. Edward and Jasper were talking about a new video game they saw on TV and Alice was lost in her thoughts. The bus roared to a stop in front of them, and Alice began to feel afraid. The older kids got on first and she grabbed Jasper's hand and followed him onto the bus. Jasper let go of her hand and went down the aisle to an empty seat. Alice followed him to the seat and sat down. All of the other kids began laughing. Jasper turned red and told her she couldn't sit with him.

"Boys sit on one side, and girls on the other, Ali."

"Yeah, Ali. Go sit over there. I sit with Jasper." Edward grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up so he could sit down.

She was so embarrassed and, when she tried to find a seat, none of the girls would let her sit with them. She just stood there trying not to cry. The bus driver yelled back at her to find a seat and she had hurried to the very back of the bus where there was an empty seat.

That day at school, some of the kids in her class called her a baby because she didn't know how to ride the bus and teased her for being so small.

Jasper's classmates teased him, too. They asked him if Alice was his girlfriend or if he just liked hanging out with babies. He didn't want to be mean to Ali, but he decided he would just stay away from her at school. He hated when the other kids drew attention to him.

The next morning, none of the girls would let Alice sit with them on the bus. After that, it became a game to try to have a girl in each seat so that Alice had no where to sit. The bus driver was always mad at her for not sitting down and he finally made her sit in the first seat behind him. The other kids called it the 'baby seat' since she was so small and was the only kid to have an assigned seat.

Edward tried to stick up for her but the other kids ignored him. Jasper just sat there looking miserable. Neither of them knew what to do, so they both hoped the other kids would just forget about it in a couple days and leave Ali alone.

Alice was confused. She had never had people treat her like this before. Usually people were so nice to her and told her how cute and sweet she was. A lot of the time, they would even give her a treat. These kids went out of their way to be mean to her and now, even Jasper didn't want to be around her at school. She started getting a lot of stomach aches, but the doctor told her parents that it was just anxiety and would pass. Carlisle agreed and tried to convince her that things would get better.

The night after her doctor's appointment, Alice heard her parents talking. "Maybe Ali is just too young to start school, after all, Carlisle."

"She is very smart, Esme. If we keep her home another year, she will be a year behind the other kids her age, and will be behind all through high school. She will be fine. She just needs to adjust to school and gain confidence. I guess we should've put her in preschool so she would get used to playing with other kids."

Alice didn't want to be a year behind the other kids, whatever that meant, so she pretended that everything was alright at school after that, and didn't even complain about her tummy aches any more.

"Edward was right," sighed Alice. "I am a brat, and now no one will play with me. I wish I knew how to stop being a brat."


	10. That Weird Cullen Girl

10.

That Weird Cullen Girl

Esme marveled at how much the boys had grown over the summer as she watched them head for the bus stop. Edward was a little taller than her now, and she had to look up at Jasper.

"Eighth grade already!" She thought, "Another year and they'll both be in high school."

Her eyes went to Ali. She had grown, also, but she was still only about the size of a nine or ten year old. The pediatrician proclaimed her perfectly healthy, just small, but Alice hated it.

Turning into the house, she looked over toward the pictures on the walls. There were so many of them now. Emmette looked so handsome in his Eighth grade graduation picture. He and Rosalie had been so nervous about starting high school and now they were Sophomores! Rose was a cheerleader and Em was on just about every sports team they offered. They both had so many friends that she couldn't keep track of them all.

The younger boys were also very popular. They were always getting invited to one event or another, or having friends over. Jasper excelled at sports, just like Emmette, and had started learning the guitar. Edward was on the baseball and basketball teams with him, but he preferred music and art over sports and was an accomplished pianist. Of course, all three boys loved their video games. They would have mini-marathons on the weekends, and Esme loved having the three of them, and their friends, cheering each other on while she whipped up snacks for them all.

Esme let out a little sigh. "What had happened with Alice?" she thought, walking over to touch her Fifth grade picture.

Alice had been so bubbly and bright-eyed as a baby. She had charmed everyone she met, but once she started school, she seemed to lose her spark. She would bury her nose in a book and showed no interest in joining anything at school or hanging out with friends.

Esme worried about her constantly. She had stayed the same old Alice at home, happy and sweet, but when they were at school or around other kids, she clammed up and refused to put forth any effort in making friends. Esme had signed her up for activities through the Park District hoping she would make friends there, but she never got involved more than what was required. She had taken her to a therapist hoping she could help her come out of her shell, but she resented having to go and always said everything was fine. Finally, Carlisle had talked her into leaving Alice alone to bloom on her own, and she had backed off.

Now Alice seemed worse than ever. She was usually locked up in her room with a book or her laptop. She had gotten so she didn't even follow the boys around any more, much to Edward's relief, but Jasper always asked her if she wanted to join them. Sometimes Alice would say yes, like if they were going out for ice cream or to a movie, but not if other kids were going to be there.

Alice was starting sixth grade at the Middle School today. Esme had wanted to take her, but the boys had frowned and said that the other kids would say she was a baby, so Esme had asked Edward to help her out and stayed home. Now she wandered through the house wondering what to do. She was bored with housework and, though her volunteering kept her busy, she figured it was time to "get a life", as the boys said. She got out her laptop and began doing some research.

* * *

Alice hated the bus, but at least she didn't have an assigned seat this year. She got on after the boys, found an empty seat and pulled out her class schedule. After studying it for the millionth time, she glanced around the bus. All of the other kids had grown over the past summer, but she still looked like she was ten. She even still fit into some of the clothes that she wore two years ago. She hated being so small, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

On the first day of Kindergarten, she had been so worried that the other kids would think she was a brat, as Edward always called her, that she hadn't even tried to play with any of them. After being bullied a few times by the yellow-haired girl, whose name was Jessica, she had realized that she was not any brattier than the other kids, and was much nicer than some. By then, she didn't know how to interact with any of them, though, and kept to herself.

No one would dare sit with her on the bus, even if they wanted to, and to make matters worse, if a kid got in trouble, the bus driver would make them sit with her in the seat behind him so he could keep an eye on them. Everything seemed to be a reason to torment Alice and she had quickly become an easy target.

As she had gotten older, a lot of the other kids had wanted to know why she wasn't tall like her brothers and, when she told them she was adopted, they made fun of her for that, too.

The mean ones told her that the Cullens only took her in because they felt sorry for her since her own parents hadn't wanted her. They also said that, now that she turned out to be a midget, the Cullens didn't want her, either. She knew Carlisle and Esme loved her, and Emmette, too, but she really wondered about Edward. He seemed to make an effort to exclude her and, the older she got, the more isolated she felt and now, she doubted she would ever fit in.

The other girls especially gave her a hard time about her size and seemed to find any reason to embarrass or tease her. The boys wanted to impress the girls and would go along with whatever they wanted. Though the boys weren't really mean to her, they weren't actually nice to her, either.

Edward and Jasper tried to get her to stand up to them and not let them intimidate her. They even tried to get the other kids to be nice to her, but all that did was make the kids tease her about needing her big brothers to take care of her. If it weren't for her love of learning and art, school would've been a complete nightmare.

Alice had lain awake all night hoping that Middle school would be different, but she didn't have high hopes.

"Alice." called Edward as they walked toward the front doors of the school. "Do you need help finding your first class?"

"No, Edward." she snapped. "I don't need any help. I'm not a baby."

"Are you sure, Ali? You're not being a baby asking for help." said Jasper. "We know where everything is. We can show you where your locker is, at least."

"Thank you, Jasper, but I have a map. I'm sure I can figure it out."

"Oh, OK. Have a good day, then."

"You, too. See you on the bus." And she walked off in the opposite direction.

"What's with Ali, Ed? Do you think she'll make any friends this year?"

"I don't know, Jas. I thought she'd be really popular being that she's so pretty and so much fun, but she hardly ever talks to anyone besides us.

"I know! Its so weird! I thought she would have so many friends that we wouldn't even get the chance to talk to her at school. I don't know of one girl that she hangs out with, do you?"

"Nope." Edward shook his head. "Maybe we should get her to hang out with us more so she can have someone to hang with."

"Hmm… yeah. Well, see you at lunch!" called Jasper as he ran down the hall toward his first class.

It turned out that Alice had one class with Jasper. She had always excelled at all her classes, but she was exceptionally gifted at English Lit. The principal had talked to her parents about putting her in Advanced Literature and Alice was really excited about it.

When she entered the classroom, she spotted Jasper instantly, but pretended that she didn't. A lot of the other girls liked Jasper because he was so handsome and a jock, and they treated her even worse when she hung around him.

"Ali!" called Jas. "Sit over here!"

She didn't want to hurt his feelings, so she walked over by him. As she started toward the seat he indicated, she felt something at her ankle trip her and she fell down.

She heard all of the other kids start laughing and, when she looked up, she saw a girl smirking down at her.

"Oh, Alice, I am so sorry! I didn't see you there! Its really hard, cuz I'm like, just not used to having little kids here! What? Aren't you supposed to be in like, 3rd grade, or something? Geeze! I get that you're smart, but they'll be letting Kindergartners go here soon."

Alice stood up and said, "No, Lauren. You know very well that I am in sixth grade and that I'm 12. I've been in Jessica's class since Kindergarten." Jessica was Lauren's younger sister and had been Alice's main tormentor since the beginning.

Alice sat in the nearest seat and tried not to look bothered by the other kids' teasing. She was used to it, but it hurt just the same.

She heard Jasper say, "Lauren! That was mean! Why don't you leave Alice alone?"

"It was an accident, Jasper. I would never hurt Alice on purpose! She is just so small! Its hard to notice her, really!"

Jasper was only trying to stick up for her, but she knew she would pay for it later. She wished he'd just leave it alone.

She let out a little sigh and heard Jasper whisper her name. She pretended that she didn't hear him and was relieved when the teacher walked in.

After class, Jasper hurried after her when she tried to get out of class before him.

"Alice! Wait up!" he called. Jas grabbed her arm as he caught up. "Why the hell won't you wait for me?"

"Jasper Hale," she said coldly. "I don't need an escort. I am perfectly able to find my next class."

"Alice, I know you are. I just wanted to talk to you for a minute and see how things were going."

"Well," she answered. "Since you witnessed my humiliation first-hand, you can see that its not one of my better days."

"Sorry, Ali. I really hate Lauren. She is such a bitch. She is always trying to hang out with me and get me to talk to her. Is she always so mean to you?"

"She is no meaner than any of the other girls, Jas. I really don't even notice any more."

"How come you never told us that the other girls were so mean to you?"

"Like I said, I don't even notice them. I am too busy to pay them any mind. Now, will you let me find my next class, please?"

Jasper rolled his eyes, "We have lunch now, Ali."

"Oh. Yeah. I forgot. OK. Well, see you later, then. Bye!" And she walked as fast as she could to her locker. She didn't want Jasper to see the tears in her eyes. She had spent all week praying that the kids would treat her different this year. She should've known better. In a town this small, everyone knew everyone else's business and no one wanted to take a chance on being ostracized by associating with that "weird Cullen girl".

Ali pulled her lunch box out of the top of her locker. It was so high that she almost couldn't reach it. As she closed her locker, she turned and smacked right into something hard. She started to fall backwards, but a hand caught her arm and stopped her.

"Hey there, Tiny! You OK?"

Alice looked up and saw a boy with sandy-brown hair and chocolate brown eyes frowning down at her.

"I'm really sorry if I hurt you. I almost didn't see you."

"I am fine, thank you. You may let go of me now."

"Oh! Sorry! Um… my name is Brent and I just moved here. Do you have lunch now?" he asked as he looked down at her lunch box.

"Duh!" she answered, and she started walking towards the lunchroom.

"Well, I don't know anyone," he said, hurrying after her. "Can I sit with you?"

"Sure. Why not. There's always plenty of room." Alice wanted to like him, he seemed nice, but she knew that, as soon as he heard the other kids tease her, he'd turn against her. It had happened too many times before.

They entered the lunchroom together and Alice spotted an empty table by the windows. She started to make her way over there when Jasper called her.

"Alice! Come sit with us!"

"Who are those guys?" asked Brent.

"The blonde one is my neighbor, Jasper, and the other one is my brother."

"Why don't we sit with them, then?" and he again grabbed Alice's arm and pulled her toward her brother's table.

"Hi!" said Brent. "I'm Brent Michaels. I just moved here a week ago."

"Hey Brent! I'm Jasper."

"Hi! I'm Edward."

They both shook hands with Brent and asked him to sit down. Alice took a seat, too, but the boys got into a conversation about baseball and forgot she was even there.

"Better to be ignored than teased, I suppose," thought Alice as she got out her lunch and her book, and began to eat.


	11. Finally, a Friend

**Author's note: Thank you all so much for the reviews, suggestions and feedback!! I really appreciate them!!! Your opinions and friendship mean the world to me!!! As a new F.F. writer, I can use all the help I can get!! o)**

11.

Finally, A Friend...

The bell rang and Alice gathered up her lunchbox and book and started back to her locker.

"Yo! Alice! Wait up!"

Alice turned to see Brent hurrying to catch up with her.

"You sure are fast for such a tiny thing!" he laughed, coming up to where she waited.

"Yeah, well you gotta' move fast if you want to avoid the jerks in this school." Alice snapped back, turning back to continue her fast pace.

"Wait!" Brent called, grabbing her arm. "What did I say?"

"Brent, I appreciate that you are new and are looking to make friends, but I do not appreciate you grabbing me and calling me names. Go find someone else to follow around." Alice stomped her way to her locker.

"Whoa! Alice, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you mad. I just wanted to apologize for ignoring you at lunch. I got caught up in baseball talk, baseball is my thing, and I didn't realize how fast the time had gone. I only grabbed your arm to get you to stop so I could tell you that, but, I really can't remember calling you names."

"Well, thank you for the apology. That's very thoughtful. As for the name-calling, I know I am short, but I don't like people saying it all the time. I am so much more than just a small person." She tried to look down her nose at him and he cracked up.

"God, Alice! You are so adorable!" She really looked pissed now. "I'm sorry! I can't help it! You are so tiny and yet so haughty. I expect you to turn into the Hulk any minute, or something. Come on! Please don't be mad! I didn't mean anything by it!" He stuck out his bottom lip and gave his best impression of a lost puppy.

Alice tried not to let it affect her, but she couldn't keep it up and burst out laughing.

"Oh my God! You are such a pain! Puppy dog eyes don't usually work on me. I've had Emmett use them for years and I thought I was immune!" She continued to chuckle at him. "Since you insist on bugging me, I guess I'll forgive you this once. What class are you headed to?"

"I've got Gym. Where you going?" He asked.

"Believe it, or not, I've got Gym, too. My fave class." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Man! I love Gym! How can you not?"

"Well, besides the other girls teasing me about my size, I'm not very good at any sports, so I really don't enjoy it."

"Oh, the other chicks are jealous, huh?"

"What do you mean?" She looked at him genuinely puzzled.

"Well, you are so tiny and pretty, they probably feel like huge, homely lugs next to you."

"You really think I'm pretty?" She still didn't trust him, but was hoping he was as nice as he seemed.

"Uh, yeah! Don't the other guys?" Now he was puzzled.

"If they do, they have never said anything to me. They're all a bunch of Neanderthals, if you ask me. And the girls are a bunch of nasty bitches." Her face was all scrunched up in anger.

"Wow, you really don't like people, do you?"

She looked at him in surprise. "I love people! Why would you say that?"

"You try so hard to keep them away, that's all. Even your brother and his friend, you didn't even say anything to them the whole time we were at lunch."

"They are Neanderthals, too. I used to be really close with Jasper, but he and Edward pretty much ignore me, just like everyone else at this crappy school."

"I'm really sorry, Alice. I figured you were one of the popular girls. At my old school, a girl as pretty as you would have a million friends and rule the school."

"Well, thank you for saying I'm pretty, Brent, you are really nice, but I have never been one of the popular people, trust me." They arrived at the locker room doors. "Well, see you in there!" Alice said as she disappeared into the locker room.

Brent shook his head and muttered, "What the heck is wrong with these people?"

* * *

Alice had the best time she had ever had in Gym class. They had played co-ed volleyball and Brent made sure he was on her team. He positioned himself next to her and, every time someone tried to spike a ball at her, he would slam it at them and she would crack up. He set her up quite a few times to score, also, and she was having a blast.

When Alice came out of the locker room, he was waiting for her. Alice skipped over to him.

"Thank you, Brent! That was the funnest game of volleyball I ever played!" She giggled and touched his arm.

He smiled down at her, "My pleasure, Munchkin! Oh! Sorry!" He looked at her sheepishly.

"Its okay. I don't mind when you say stuff like that 'cuz you're not saying it to be mean."

"Where you going now?" He wondered.

"I have Math next, then Science. What about you?"

"English and then Math." He looked disappointed and then he perked back up. "At least we have lunch and Gym together."

"Yeah! And I'll see you at the end of the day by our lockers."

"Cool! Well, have a good afternoon, then! See ya'!"

"You, too! See you after school!" He sprinted away and she smiled all the way to Math. "He really seems to like me." She thought, "Maybe I finally have a friend."

* * *

"Brent!!" Alice laughed. "You can't do that! That's cheating!"

"Cheating? Me? I beg your pardon! I am too much of a gentleman to cheat!" Brent put his hand over his heart and made a dramatic face. "I think I have been insulted!"

Alice threw a pillow at him and they both laughed. Brent had been coming home with her after school a few times a week and they were in the Cullen's living room. Jasper frowned from where he stood in the doorway. He had wanted Alice to make friends but now she spent all of her time with Brent. He couldn't get her to do anything with him any more.

"Hey guys!" Jasper walked into the room. "What ya' playin'?"

"Monopoly, and, of course Brent is beating me! I have always hated this game!" Alice pretend pouted as her eyes twinkled with laughter.

"Do you wanna' play some video games?" asked Jasper.

"Sure, man!" said Brent. "What ya' got?" He walked over by Jasper and began looking through the games with him.

Alice cleaned up the board game and went to put it away in the cabinet. She felt dejected and her shoulders slumped. She had wondered how long it would be before one of the boys stole away her only friend.

"Ali, where you goin'? Don't you want to play a game with me and Brent?"

Alice brightened up, "Really?"

"Well, yeah. Do you think I would ask Brent to play and not you?"

"Well, I guess not." But he, Edward and Emmette did it to her all the time. They let her play sometimes, but usually she just sat and watched. "You'll have to show me, though," she said, looking at the game they were setting up. "I haven't played this one before."

"Well, its a four-player game, so all three of us can play together, but how about I help you the first time until you get the hang of it?" suggested Jasper.

"Yeah, Ali! This game is a blast! You'll love it!" added Brent.

"Cool! Thanks!" Alice sat next to Jasper on the couch and he started to explain how to play.

"Here, sit on my lap. It'll be easier for me to help you with the controls." He patted his leg and she crawled over onto him and he put his arms around her to show her what buttons to use. Jasper had forgotten how nice it was to snuggle with Ali. Ever since she had started school, he and Edward had been so busy with their own lives, that they had kind of forgotten all about Alice. They played with her sometimes, but she had just been the annoying little sister, always bugging them and following them around. He felt bad when he realized this and hugged her to him, burying his nose in her hair. Her long hair was so soft and it always smelled really good, too.

* * *

Alice was beating both boys when Edward came through the front door from his piano lesson. "Hey Dudes, what's goin' on?"

"We're playing Smash Brothers and Ali is kicking' butt!" laughed Jasper.

"No way! You guys must suck then!" he called as he threw his back pack down and walked over to join them. "Can I play?"

"Do you mind starting over, Ali?" asked Brent.

"Of course not! Come on, Edward, pick the character you wanna' be." she laughed.

Edward sat between her and Brent on the couch and plugged in the fourth controller. Jasper sat on her other side and they started a new round.

At first, Edward tried extra hard to beat her, but then they just started having fun. When Esme and Carlisle walked in the front door right before dinner time, they found them all laughing and teasing each other. Esme looked at Carlisle with tears in her eyes and he put his arm around her and gave her a gentle smile. "I told you they would work it out. Edward is a good kid, he and Alice are just typical siblings." Esme put her head on his shoulder and sighed happily. She was so content when everyone in her family was getting along.


	12. A Woman's Revelation

12.

"So, Ali, is Brent your boyfriend, or what?" Jessica said, standing by Alice's locker.

"Well, he's my friend. What about it?" Alice answered her cautiously.

"Well, he's really hot, and you're really pretty and, well, I noticed that you spend a lot of time together. I just assumed he was your boyfriend."

Alice looked at Jessica suspiciously. She usually didn't talk to Alice and her sister, Lauren, was always mean to her, so she couldn't help but wonder why she had asked. She also said she was pretty? "What was she up to?" she thought.

"We do spend a lot of time together, but, truthfully, we've never talked about him being my boyfriend." answered Alice, honestly.

"Oh. Well, he seems nice and you guys are really cute together. Good luck with him." Jessica smiled and gave her a little wave.

"Uh, thanks." She waved back.

"So I hear that you and Brent are going out." Jasper said in Lit class.

"As far as I know, we aren't. Where did you hear that?" Alice said, sitting down in the desk next to him.

"Some girl was talking about it in my Science class. Most of the girls think he's really cute and are disappointed that he's already taken."

"Hmmm. What did they say about me?" She couldn't help but ask. She could just imagine the nasty remarks.

"Just that you were lucky and you guys were cute together. Why do you ask?"

"Really? That's it? No nasty remarks about how ugly or short I am, or how I'm adopted 'cuz no one wants me?"

"Ali, I haven't heard anyone say anything like that since we were little. Why do you still worry about that stuff? You are pretty and smart, and a lot of the girls would be friends with you if you would just talk to them.

Wow! Had Jasper just said she was pretty? Alice looked at him kind of stunned. Twice in one day she had been told she was pretty. Her head kind of spun for a moment. Come to think of it, no one had really been mean to her in a long time, well, no one but Lauren, that is. Maybe she did push people away. She had just been trying to save herself from being hurt. She could remember the pain in her chest trying not to cry when she was younger and being teased. She had gotten so used to it and had learned to ignore the people around her so that she didn't even notice them any more.

Now that she thought about it, even Edward hadn't been that mean to her in a long time. She knew he had been jealous of everyone paying so much attention to her when she was little, but they had still played together some. He had even stuck up for her at school a little before he had gone on to Middle School.

Her head began to throb. Jasper looked at her intently for a second. "Ali, you okay? You are really pale."

"Jas, my head is hurting really bad." she moaned. "I don't feel so good."

Jasper scooped her up in his arms and took her to the front of the class. He told the teacher she was sick and took her to the nurse's office. He laid her on one of the cots and held her hand. "Ali? Ali, are you okay?"

She cracked open an eye and looked up at him. "My head feels like I got hit with a hammer. I think I may be sick."

The nurse came in with a cold cloth and a bucket. "Go ahead back to class, Jasper. I think she has a migraine. I'll see to her and call her mom."

"Okay. Thanks, Mrs. Adams. Can I come check on her after class?"

"Sure, Jasper. That would be nice."

"Thank you, Jas." Alice managed to say and covered her eyes with the cool cloth.

Back in class, Lauren asked Jasper what was wrong with Alice.

"The nurse thinks she has a migraine." he answered.

"Poor thing! Those are miserable. Maybe its her time of the month." Lauren cooed.

Jasper looked at her like she had grown another head. "Ali didn't get her period, yet, did she?" he thought. "Naw, she's too young. She's just a little girl… wasn't she?"

Lauren smirked at him, "Well, if I get a migraine, I guess I know who to have carry me to the nurse. What a nice guy you are, Jasper." And Jasper swore she actually fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Esme rushed into the nurse's office. "How is she Mrs. Adams?"

"She's doing a little better, Mrs. Cullen. She says the light hurts her eyes and she feels like she's going to throw up, but her pain has lessened some. Has she started her period, yet? Migraines can sometimes be a side effect, you know."

"Unfortunately, I do know. I used to get them when I was a teenager. I know a lot of women that do."

"I used to get them, too. They are no fun, are they, Alice?" she sympathized. "Anyway, I would keep a watch out. I predict a start to her menstruating within the next few months. If she has many more migraines, I would take her to her Pediatrician as a precaution. Well, I'm sure you and Dr. Cullen already know that." She looked kind of embarrassed.

"No! Mrs. Adams, I appreciate your help. Just because my husband is a doctor, doesn't mean we think of everything when it comes to our own kids. You'd be surprised how clueless we can be sometimes."

Mrs. Adams smiled, the Cullens were always so gracious, it was a pleasure having them in the community. "I guess I better let you get this little lady home, then. I'm sure some rest will do her good."

"Um… Hi, Ms. Esme, Mrs. Adams. Is Alice feeling any better?" Jasper said from the doorway.

"Hi, Jasper! Did Alice get sick in class?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen. Jasper actually carried her here when she fell ill." answered Mrs. Adams.

"Thank you, Jasper. Has she complained of headaches before?"

"Not that I know of, Ms. Esme. She seemed fine and then, all of a sudden, she got really pale and said her head hurt. She left her stuff in class, so I brought it with me. Are you taking her home?"

"Yes. Ms. Adams thinks some rest will help her feel better. Thank you for getting her stuff. Come on over when you get home, if you want."

"I will. Do you need help getting her to the car? She was kind of shaky before." offered Jasper.

"That would be nice, Jas. Thanks." smiled Esme. Jasper scooped her up again and Alice gave him a faint smile. She could get used to this, well, except for the pain in her head.

Esme got Alice home and helped her upstairs to her room.

"Mom? Thanks for coming to get me."

"Alice! Of course I would come and get you! You are my daughter. I just feel bad that you are in pain. Let's get you in some PJs and in bed. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom. I need to use the bathroom first."

"Take your pajamas in with you and change, and I'll get you a cool drink and some Advil."

Alice went into the bathroom and Esme headed down the stairs. She poured Alice a glass of Sprite and grabbed the bottle of Advil. Coming back up the stairs, she heard a pitiful call. "Mom? I need you."

Esme hurried to the bathroom. She knocked and then opened the door carefully. "What is it, Alice?"

Alice stood in the middle of the room clutching her stomach. "I started my period. My underwear are ruined and my stomach hurts now, too."

"Okay, let's not panic. Its perfectly normal at your age, and some rest and medicine will help you feel better. Take a quick shower and I'll get you some pads."

Coming back into the bathroom, Esme said, "These are probably a little big for you, so we'll have to pick you some up at the store. These will do for now, though. Feeling any better?"

"Yeah, the warm water helped."

"Good. I'll leave these on the sink for you."

"Thanks, Mom!" Alice got out of the shower and dried off. "Well, I guess I'm a woman now." she thought with a laugh. "Lucky me." She rolled her eyes and got into her comfy jammies.

Back in her room, Alice swallowed the medicine her mom gave her and crawled into bed. She felt crappy, but oh so pampered and loved. Her mom tucked her in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Feel better, my angel. I'll come check on you in a little bit."

"Mom? I love you."

"I love you, too, Ali Angel. Sleep good."

Alice snuggled down into the bed. She thought again about what her and Jasper had been talking about when her headache began. Had she really been pushing people away all this time for nothing? She had just been protecting herself. Maybe she would try to be friendlier, and see what happened. With that thought, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	13. Ali Awareness 101

13.

Ali Awareness 101

The sun seemed extra bright when Alice opened her eyes. "Maybe my eyes are extra sensitive from my headache," she thought.

Sighing, she rolled out of bed and put on her bathrobe. Just as she was about to open her door to the hallway, she heard cheering from downstairs. She rolled her eyes and wondered what the boys were up to now. She walked across the hall into the bathroom and heard Emmett say something about snow. Curious, she went to the window at the end of the hallway and saw mounds of white sparkles everywhere.

"Wow! That's a lot of snow!" marveled Alice.

Considering that they lived in Wisconsin, she was used to snow, but that looked like a lot for one night. She used the bathroom and then made her way downstairs. She could hear Emmett, Jasper and Edward talking excitedly in the kitchen. Esme laughed and she heard Rosalie say something.

"What's going on? Em and Rose are usually long gone by the time my alarm goes off."

She went into the kitchen and was greeted by five bright, happy faces.

"Mornin', Ali! How's your head?" inquired Jasper.

"Much better. Thank you for helping me yesterday."

"My pleasure," he said, bowing, and she laughed.

"Ali! Guess what! We have a snow day today!" exclaimed Edward.

Emmett picked her up and spun her around. "Whoo hoo! I love, love, love, the snow!"

Alice giggled and hung on for dear life. "Em! Put me down! Ya' big goofball!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes and said something about 'big idiots' and 'never growing up', which made Alice laugh even harder.

"Well, now what do we do?" asked Rose. "I can't believe I stayed up late to finish my paper for nothing."

"Quit complaining', Rosie! It's a snow day!! We can do what ever we want! Right, Mom?"

"Well, within reason, Emmett," laughed Esme.

"Yeah! I just wanna' go out and roll in the stuff! Don't you guys?"

"Sure, Em!" chuckled Jasper. "Can we give Edward a chance to get dressed first?"

"And eat breakfast!" added Edward.

Alice yawned. "Well, have fun with that, guys! I'm going back to bed."

"Oh no you're not!" said Jasper, looking her straight in the eye. "You are playing in the snow with us!"

"Yeah! Whatever, Jas! Been nice seeing ya'!" Alice turned back toward the stairs and Jasper grabbed her from behind and swore he would bring a pail of snow and dump it on her if she went back to bed.

Then he got on his knees and begged, "Please! Please! Ali Angel, you have to come outside with us! I will be all alone against the masses without you!"

Laughing, she said, "Okay! I give! I give! Let me get dressed and get something to eat. Geeze! Rose are you playing, too?"

"Yes, she is! Aren't you, Rosie, my love?" said Emmett as he began to walk slowly toward her.

"No! I am going to work on my car. Emmett! Stay away from me!"

Emmett pounced on her. "I will tickle-torture you until you say yes!" and he wiggled his fingers like he was tickling her.

Rosalie was extremely ticklish and you didn't even have to touch her to get her to laugh.

"Okay! Okay! Stop! Oh my God, Emmett! I am going to just beat you with a baseball bat one of these days!"

Esme laughed. "It wouldn't do any good, Rose. He wouldn't feel it any way! Too hard-headed!"

"Tell me about it!" Rose agreed and she shooed Edward and Alice upstairs to get dressed. "If I have to play in the snow before I can work on my car, you two better get a move on!"

After Esme filled them all up with warm oatmeal and toast, the Cullen and Hale kids got all bundled up and went out into the cold, bright snow.

"Brrrrrrrrrrrr! Its too cold out here!" complained Rose.

"Aw, Rosie! Come here! I'll keep you warm!" yelled Emmett as he made his way toward her.

"Emmett Cullen! Keep you grubby paws off of me!" Rosalie shrieked and picked up a handful of snow and threw it at him.

"Oh! Thats how you wanna' play, huh?" he grinned evilly and bent down for some snow.

It was on! They all started running around throwing snowballs at each other and laughing hysterically.

Esme smiled from the window. "They may be growing up way too fast, but they are still just a bunch of kids."

Alice stomped her feet. She was frozen through but was having too much fun to go inside just yet.

"What's wrong with you, Little Miss Cullen?"

"I'm cold, Large Mr. Hale! What's it to you?"

"Well, I guess we'll have to do something about that!" Jasper said with an evil grin on his face.

"Alright, Jasper! That's enough! I am frozen! I can't feel my toes!" She backed up and started to giggle as he stalked her. Keeping eye contact with her, he bent down and scooped up a large pile of snow.

"Jasper Hale! If you throw that on me, I will hurt you so bad that you will remember it for the rest of your life!"

"Ha! I am shaking in my boots!"

Alice turned and ran, screaming, with Jasper right on her heels. She turned to look behind her and screamed again to see him so close. She stumbled and fell, rolling on her back and he fell on top of her. They were both laughing and gasping for breath.

Jasper looked down into Alice's face and abruptly stopped laughing. Alice, still giggling looked up at him. "What's wrong, Jas?" she gasped, trying to catch her breath. He had the funniest look in his eyes, almost like he didn't know her, but then he jumped up and reached down to help her up.

They brushed themselves off and Alice looked at Jasper again. He kept his face down, his hair covering his eyes, and was brushing at snow that wasn't there. When he finally looked up, Alice's eyes were bright with laughter. "I think you are frozen now, too! Ready to go in and warm up? Its gotta' be close to lunch time. I'll make us some cocoa and sandwiches."

"Yum! That sounds great! Let's go!" Jasper grabbed her mittened hand and they ran around to the back door.

* * *

After cocoa and grilled cheese sandwiches, Edward and Jasper went into the living room to play a video game. Rose wanted to work on her car and went next door. She told Emmett he could help her if he wanted to, so he went loping after her.

"What's with those two?" Edward asked Jasper.

Jasper shrugged, "Beats me."

Esme and Alice looked at each other, rolled their eyes and smiled. "Sometimes boys are so clueless." thought Alice as she shook her head.

"Hey, Ali!" called Edward. "Do you wanna' play this new game with us? You can play with three!"

"Sure! Be right there!" Alice called back. "Mom, do you need any help with anything?"

"No, Sweetie, but thank you. I think I am going to go upstairs and go through some pamphlets I picked up. Go have fun."

"Okay, thanks. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will, Angel." Smiling, Esme went up the stairs.

Alice just couldn't get the hang of the new game. It was a little more complicated than the others she had played. You had to team up as soldiers and fight zombies, but you had to make sure you didn't kill civilians, or each other. She was getting very frustrated.

"Jas, can you please help me? I'm not getting the hang of this at all."

"Sure, Ali. It is kinda' hard at first."

Alice crawled on his lap and Jas stiffened for a second. She looked at him and said, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm cool."

She positioned her fingers on the controller and he put his fingers on top of hers', just like they always did.

"Okay, when you want to run, you push this button and this button at the same time." She tried it and then he showed her a couple other plays.

"Jas, let's play a level with you helping Ali so she knows what to expect." suggested Edward.

"Alright," said Jasper, somewhat reluctantly.

"Jas, if you don't want to, its okay. Am I too heavy?" worried Alice.

"No, Alice. You're fine." Jas assured her and nodded for Edward to start the game.

The game was a lot easier with Jasper helping her and Alice started to get how it all worked. She killed about 10 zombies and went to the next level. "Whoo hoo!" she yelled, wiggling excitedly on Jasper's lap.

Jasper let out a yelp as he felt a stirring in his pants and pushed Alice off his lap. He jumped off the couch and started walking toward the kitchen like he was in pain. "Sorry, Ali! I got a cramp. Just let me walk it off for a second."

"Oh my God!" he thought. "Am I some kind of perv, or something! Alice is like my baby sister. What the Hell?"

He waited until his 'cramp' wasn't noticeable, and went back into the living room.

"Sorry about that. My muscles are probably still cold from being outside. You got the hang of it now, Ali?"

"Yes! Thank you, Jasper! I'm doing great now!" Alice laughed as she killed a couple of zombies.

"You've created a monster, Jas!" Edward laughed as he watched Alice.

Jasper sighed with relief that neither of them had noticed his problem. He sat back down on the couch, but his thoughts were too confused to concentrate on the game.

* * *

Brent and Alice were laughing as they approached the table in the lunchroom. Jasper looked up with a scowl on his face. "Geeze! Did they always have to be so happy together?" he thought. He was having a crappy day and it didn't help him to see Brent hanging all over Alice like that.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" said Edward as they sat down.

"Oh my God, Edward! We had so much fun in Gym yesterday! laughed Alice. "We played Basketball…"

"You hate Basketball!" interrupted Jasper.

"Well, she scored six baskets!" boasted Brent.

"No way! How'd you do that, Alice?" Edward asked, surprised.

"Brent lifted me up! It was so funny! All the other players were so surprised that they just stood there at first. One time, Mike Newton tried to take the ball from me, and Brent just kept turning me around and around until I was able to get it in the basket." She turned sparkling eyes to Brent.

"Ha! Mike was so pissed! He called traveling, but Coach Danvers told him that my feet never moved. Ha! I thought he was gonna' shit a brick!"

Brent and Alice dissolved in laughter remembering his face.

Alice deepened her voice, imitating the coach, "There aren't any rules against lifting pretty girls up to score a basket in my gym."

She leaned against Brent trying to catch her breath. "I can't wait to see what Mike does today!"

"God! He's such a whiner! Has he always been like that?" asked Brent about Mike.

"Pretty much," chuckled Edward. "In third grade, Jasper picked up a worm he found on the playground and, I swear, Mike screamed louder than any girl. We laughed and he told the teacher that Jasper was trying to throw it on him. He almost got suspended!" He turned toward Jasper. "Remember, Jas? The only way you got out of it is that we both told the exact same story. Our word against his. God! He's always been such a baby!"

Jasper growled, "Yeah, he's a real asshole."

Alice looked at him, "Having a bad day, Jas?"

"Yes, Alice, I am." He stated, looking her straight in the eyes. Her eyes widened slightly at his look.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"No, I am." he sighed. "I'm just crabby. Sorry."

"Well, I hope your day gets better." she smiled.

"Me, too." he smiled back. "Thanks."

They ate their lunch, Alice and Edward taking turns telling Brent funny stories about some of the other kids in school. Jasper sat brooding, trying not to look at Alice.


	14. Put a Ring On It

14.

Put a Ring On It

Jasper slammed the door behind him. The last day of school before Christmas break was finally over! Thank God! This thing with Alice was driving him crazy.

"What the Hell is wrong with me? God! I'm a fuckin' perv!" He threw his backpack down on the floor and stomped into the kitchen for a Coke.

Jasper was so frustrated and the worst part was that he couldn't talk to anybody about it. His dad would freak. Carlisle would probably castrate him, and Edward and Emmett would beat the shit out of him. He sure as Hell couldn't talk to Alice about it!

He ran his hand through his hair. Maybe he could talk to Rosalie without her having a shit fit. She was pretty open-minded, besides, its not like he wanted to feel this way about Alice. He grabbed another Coke out of the fridge and went to find Rose.

Rosalie was in the garage, as usual. She had bought an old Camaro about a year ago and was restoring it. She called it her child and she spent every spare minute on it. Emmett helped her with it a lot, and he and Edward even stepped up occasionally.

Rose was kneeling on the floor and looked up from what she was doing, as Jasper came into the garage.

"Hey Jas!"

"Hey, Rose! Can I talk to you a minute?"

"Sure, Jas. What's up?"

He handed her the Coke and said, "Well, if I tell you something really freaky, do you promise not to wig out on me?"

"I'll try my best. That's all I can give ya', Jas." She cracked open the Coke and took a swig.

"Okay… well, I've been having these weird… feelings… for someone, someone I really shouldn't have these kinds of feelings for, and… well,... do you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. You're getting a boner for some guy, and now you wonder if you're gay. Right?"

"Rose! I'm not gay. It's a girl."

"Then what's the big deal? You're gonna' be fifteen in a couple days. Your hormones are raging, and some cute girl caught your eye. So…?"

"Well, now don't freak out, its… well,... its…" he stammered. "Shit! I can't tell you. Never mind."

"Oh my God, Jas! Just fuckin' tell me already!"

"Its... Alice."

"Alice? You wanna' get in Alice's pants? Geeze-us, Jasper! She's fuckin' twelve years old!" Rose stood up and wiped her hands on her cover-alls. "Emmett is going to kill you!"

"I know how old she is, Rose! And I don't want to get in her pants! She's like my frickin' little sister! Why do you think I'm so weirded out? Damn it! I vowed to be her big brother to Carlisle, and here I am thinking about her like she's a piece of candy!" Jasper ran his hand over his face and through his hair. "Its driving me crazy, Rose! I can't help it! I've tried everything I can think of to change it! What should I do?" He looked at her with imploring eyes.

"Maybe its because you're so close to her, Jas. You've always kind of been her knight in shining armor, ya' know? What you need to do, is get yourself a girlfriend."

"A girlfriend?" Jasper thought a second. "Yeah, that could actually work. A girlfriend would get my mind off of her."

"Sure! You're around Alice all the time. Ask out one of the girls at school. Take her to a movie or out for a pizza, somewhere you can get to know her and your perspective will change. You'll see."

"Great idea, Sis! Thanks! I can think of a few girls that I wouldn't mind getting to know better." He looked hopeful for the first time since entering the garage.

"See? There you go! Better all ready!"

"You're the greatest, Rose!" He gave her a hug.

"I know! I know! All in a day's work." Rose grinned at Jasper and he grinned back.

* * *

Edward and Jasper were walking around the mall. They still needed to get some Christmas presents and figured it was a good place to meet girls, while they were at it.

Edward didn't know the whole story about why Jasper wanted a girlfriend. He only knew that Kristy's party was coming up and Jasper said he didn't want to be there dateless if Lauren was gonna' be there.

Jasper had just gotten the last gift on his list when they ran into Leah, a friend's sister from baseball, and her friends.

"Hey Jasper! Edward!" she called.

"Hi Leah! How've you been?"

"Good, Jasper. How about you guys?"

"Good! How's Nate? He going out for baseball this year?"

"You know, I'm not sure. It's his last year before high school, so I assume he will. He's played with you guys through the Park District for years. I don't think he'd want to miss his last year."

"Yeah, it'll be weird playing against him in high school." added Edward.

"What are you ladies up to today? Christmas shopping?" inquired Jasper.

"Naw, we're just hangin' out. By the way, this is my friend, Ginny, and this is, Savannah. Girls, this is Jasper, and Edward. They play baseball with Nate."

"Nice to meet you, guys." chirped Ginny.

"You, too." said Edward, nodding.

"Edward and I were just about to catch a movie. Would you girls like to join us?" invited Jasper.

"We can't today, Jas. We have to leave in about an hour. Do you want to just get something to drink and hang out for a while?"

"Cool. Edward?" Jasper turned to Edward. They really didn't have plans to go to the movies, but Edward had played along.

"Sure, Leah. That would be great." said Edward.

The five of them walked over to the food court and got drinks and grabbed a table.

"You still goin' out with Sam, Leah?"

"Yeah, I am. We've been dating a year now."

"No way! Geeze! You guys engaged, or what?" teased Jasper.

"Ha! Ha! Jas! I do like him, though." she giggled. "He's a junior this year so, ya' never know."

"Your mom would kill you!" said Edward.

"Don't I know it!" she laughed. "But I'll be a junior year after next, so he isn't that much older."

"What about you, Ginny? What year are you?" continued Edward. Ginny was a really cute redhead with a pretty smile and a nice figure.

"I'm in 8th grade this year. I'm in a couple of Nate's classes."

"Is he still the class clown?"

"Oh my God, yes! He is always in trouble, but he's so charming that he usually gets out of it!" she laughed. "He is always cracking me up, though! I can't get through class without laughing at him."

"Okay," thought Edward. "That one's out. She's obviously got a thing for Nate."

"And Savannah, what about you?" She was a stacked blonde, a little thick through the hips, but with a man-eater smile. Just the type of girl to get Lauren off of Jasper's back.

"I'm a freshman. I've been friends with Leah since we were in fourth grade. You guys both in 8th grade?"

"Yeah, over at William's Bay Middle School"

"Oh, excuse me! La di da! Ritzy Titzy, are we?" she said scornfully and laughed.

"Hey," said Jasper. "We can't help where our parents choose to live, but I'll tell you what, none of our girls are as, uh... nice, as you girls."

He turned a killer smile on Savannah and he swore she looked like she was gonna' have him for dinner.

Edward engaged Ginny and Leah in conversation and Jasper leaned toward Savannah. "Would you want to go out with me one night, Savannah?"

"I'd like that, Jasper. I'll give you my number and you can give me a call."

"Great! I wil."

* * *

Christmas morning dawned cold and cloudy. Snow floated lazily downward, but it was supposed to get heavier by afternoon. The Cullens gathered by their tree and exchanged presents and drank Orange juice. After much oohing and aching and thank you's, it was time to get ready to go over to the Hales' for breakfast.

Alice ran upstairs to get ready and brought her gifts for the Hales back down with her. Edward and Emmett were already gone, as usual, and Esme was putting the finishing touches on a gift for Lynnette.

Carlisle brought Alice her coat and she slipped on her boots. "Essie! You almost ready?"

"Be right down, Honey! I'm just finishing up!"

"Okay. Not too long, alright. Alice is caving in on herself from starvation!"

"Dad! I am not!" she playfully swiped at his arm and he pulled her in for a hug.

"Alice Anelle! I think you've gotten taller. You are officially taller than my belly button now!"

"Dad! You are so mean!" she laughed. She wasn't that short! Her head came up to his armpit, at least. Okay, maybe a little shorter. Being short didn't bother her that much any more. It actually got her a lot of attention and she found out that a lot of the guys thought she was cute.

"Alright! I'm ready!" Esme came bustling into the kitchen. Can you please put these in the bags for me while I get my coat?"

"Of course, My Heart! Anything for you!" Then aside to Alice in a mock whisper he said, "As long as I get to eat soon."

Alice giggled. "I heard that, Dr. Cullen!" scolded Esme playfully. "I may have to take another half hour to finish up now."

"Woman! Me need food!" He said in his best caveman voice, beating on his chest. "Feed me!"

Both the girls giggled helplessly at him. "What a nut!" said Esme as she took a bag of gifts from Carlisle. Loaded down with bags of brightly-colored packages, they made their way out the back door and across the snow-covered back yard to the Hales'.

"Merry Christmas! Come in! Come in! Breakfast is almost ready!" Lynnette and Jackson were hustling around the kitchen getting everything ready.

Jasper came to take the heavy bags from the girls, "Merry Christmas, Ms. Esme!" he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Jasper! My! Don't you look handsome today? Is that sweater new? It matches your green eyes exactly!"

"Yes," he said, blushing. "Santa Mom got it for me."

"Merry Christmas, Jasper!" Alice said, putting her arms up for a hug.

"Merry Christmas, Ali." Jasper greeted her, giving her a quick, formal peck on the cheek.

Alice looked puzzled. Jasper always gave her big, bone crushing hugs, especially on Christmas. Was he mad at her?

They followed Jasper into the living room. Emmett, Edward, Rosalie and Jackson's parents were there.

"Hi everybody! Merry Christmas!" they all called to each other. Rosalie jumped up to give them all hugs and Jackson's parents, Kate and Mitch, did the same.

"Breakfast is ready!" Jackson called. "Get all yer behinds in here 'afore the vittles is gone!"

They all laughed and hurried into the dining room.

Alice hung back a little. She put her hand on Jasper's arm as he passed. "Jasper, can you hang on a sec?" she asked.

He gave her a guarded look, but stopped.

"Are you mad at me, Jas?" she asked, worry showing in her big blue eyes.

Jasper sighed. How could he avoid her? She was so sweet. "No, I'm not mad at you, Ali. I'm just distracted. Come here." He pulled her into a bone-melting hug and she sighed as she snuggled in.

Jasper inhaled her heavenly scent. Nothing smelled like Ali. He enjoyed himself for a minute and then pulled back. He was grateful that he didn't have to hide a 'cramp' this time. "Let's eat, huh?"

She gave him a huge smile and grabbed his hand as they walked into the dining room.

Jasper escorted her to an empty seat next to her dad and looked up. Rosalie was looking straight at him with an eyebrow raised in question. He shrugged and nodded towards Alice. Rose nodded and then gestured for him to sit down. He sat next to Edward and they began their traditional Christmas breakfast.

"Oh!" groaned Jackson, walking into the living room rubbing his stomach. "It's a good thing we don't eat like this every day. I'm stuffed!"

"Me, too!" sighed his dad, Mitch, sitting down on the couch. "I'm gonna' lose my girlish figure if I keep this up."

"Papa Mitch!" giggled Alice. "If you have a girlish figure, then I am in deep trouble!"

Mitch and Jackson laughed. "Isn't she a doll, Dad? She's gonna' make some guy very happy one day!"

Alice blushed.

"All right, Jack! Don't start on Alice! It's Christmas! Give the poor girl a break!" scolded Lynnette, coming into the room.

"Geeze, Woman! You spoil all my fun!" Jackson grinned and winked at Alice. She giggled again and grinned back.

Jasper walked into the room and Jackson turned to him. "Hey Jas! When you gonna' put a ring on Ali's finger? You know, down south, twelve is almost an old maid!"

"Oh my God! Dad!" Jasper turned dark red and just looked at his dad in horror. He heard Alice giggle again. "He's just teasing, Jasper! Don't get so flustered. You should be used to him by now!"

"I suppose." he mumbled and walked back out of the room.

"That boy is so easy to embarrass lately." noted Jackson with a chuckle. "I suppose I should lay off a little, but its so tempting!"

"Jackson! Be nice to my grandson!" chatised Mitch playfully. "It's hard enough becoming a man without you goading him all the time. I don't wanna' have to whoop ya', now!"

Alice laughed and shook her head as Lynnette chided, "Jackson Hale, sometimes you are the biggest idiot!"

"I can't believe what Dad just said in front of Alice, Rose! It was funny when she was a baby, but, now? Oh God!" He groaned and closed his eyes in pain.

"What did he say?" questioned Rose.

"The 'when are you gonna' put a ring on Alice's finger' bit. Geeze! If he only knew!"

"Come on, Jas! I thought we worked this out. No one's gonna' think a thing about it. He's always said stuff like that about you two."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Of course! Now let's go open more presents!" She smiled and pulled him back into the living room where everyone was now gathered.

Jasper couldn't help looking toward Alice as he walked back into the room. She looked so pretty today. Well, she was always pretty, but she was extra beautiful today with her hair all curled around her face and down her back. She had on a bright red sweater with snowflakes made out of black beads on it and a black skirt and tights, and her eyes just glowed with excitement.

His eyes moved around the room and he noticed his mom looking at him. He smiled at her and went over to sit on the floor at her feet. She reached out a hand and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He looked up at her and she smiled and said, "Merry Christmas, Baby."

He rolled his eyes, which made her laugh, and he said, "Merry Christmas, Momma."

* * *

Edward and Jasper were out in the garage. Jasper had gotten an electric guitar from his parents and he was eager to try it out. He had been playing his acoustic for a few years now, and he wasn't bad.

"You know, Edward? We should start a band. You could play keyboards and I could play lead guitar."

"Cool! We'd have to find a drummer, and probably a bass player." Edward said excitedly. "You know anybody?"

"I'm not sure" Jasper said. "We'll have to ask around."

Just then, Ali came into the garage with a wrapped gift in her hand.

"Thank you for the laptop skin, Jas. It's awesome! I have a gift for you, too, but I wanted to wait until after you opened your other ones to give it to you."

She handed him the gift and he smiled at her and then ripped the paper off. He opened the box inside and pulled out a black guitar strap with lime green skulls on it. There were also 2 lime green picks and a pad of music paper.

"Ali!" he looked at her, his sea green eyes gleaming. "These are awesome! Thank you so much!"

He set the box down and hauled her into his arms. He buried his nose in her hair and whispered, "You're aways so thoughtful."

She pulled away and looked up at him. "Thanks, Jas. Merry Christmas."

"Hey, Ali?" Edward looked at her. "Jas and I are gonna' start a band. You know anyone who plays the drums?"

"I don't think so, but that's a great idea! You and Jasper are always writing songs and stuff." Then she asked, "Can I be in it?"

"No!" Jas and Edward said together and then looked at each other and laughed.

"Why not?" she pouted.

"For one thing, you don't play anything." said Edward.

"For another," continued Jasper. "nice girls don't play in bands. It gives guys the wrong idea."

Alice just looked at the two of them, turned on her heel and left.

Later that night, the Hales went over to the Cullens for dinner. Esme had outdone herself with a Prime Rib roast that fell apart before you could cut it, and all the fixins'. Everyone helped clean up and Mitch and Kate said their goodbyes. Shortly after, Lynnette and Jackson went home, also, and Carlisle and Esme went up to bed. The kids decided to all sprawl out in the living room and watch a movie. Jasper was on the sofa, Rose on the love seat, Emmett on the floor at her feet, and Edward in on of the recliners.

The lights were low as Alice popped in the movie and then went over and sat on the couch. She scooted close to Jasper and curled her legs up underneath her. Half way into the movie, Alice found she could hardly keep her eyes open. Out of habit, she laid her head on Jasper's lap and stretched out.

"Ali! Why do you always have to lay all over me? Can't you lay on the pillow over there." Jasper said, pointing to the opposite end of the couch.

Alice popped into a sitting position and everyone in the room looked their way. "Alice, you do sit or lay on Jasper all the time. You never ask him, either." piped up Edward.

"I... I'm sorry. I just didn't... you know, think about it. I'm sorry, Jas." she stood up and said, "Well, goodnight everyone. Merry Christmas." And bolted up the stairs.

"Way to go, there, Jas." groaned Rosalie.

"Not!" blurted Emmett, who then muttered to Rose. "Way to go, what?"


	15. A Time For Firsts

**Author's note: Thank you to all of my reviewers/readers! You guys are so great!!! You give me confidence to keep going even though I know I'm stringing the sexual tension along a little too much now. I started something that I wasn't sure how to get through, and a number of you let me know that I was doing OK. I thank you for that! I'm gonna' try to move things along a little faster now, so please hang in there. **

**Thanks again!! Enjoy! Charli o)**

15.

A Time for Firsts

"Hello?"

"Savannah? Hi! This is Jasper. You know, Jasper Hale?"

"Hi Jasper! I was wondering when you were going to call."

"Yeah, I wanted to see if you still wanted to go out?"

"Sure. When?"

"Well, a friend of mine is going to have a party this Friday. Would you wanna' go?"

"Okay. What time?"

"The party starts at 7:00, my mom said she'd bring me to pick you up at, like, 6:30?"

"Cool, I'll be ready."

"Awesome! I'll need your address."

Jasper and Savannah talked for a little while after he got her address. They talked about Christmas and what they got and did, and Savannah asked him about what kind of party to expect and about his friends.

When Jasper hung up, he was excited to see Savannah. She was really easy to talk to and he thought they would have a good time together.

The night of the party, Lynnette and Jasper drove over to Savannah's to pick her up. Jasper started up to the door but Savannah came running out before he got there.

"Shouldn't I meet your parents before we go?" he asked her.

Savannah laughed. "God, no! They are so lame! Let's just go."

"Okay, whatever." He opened the back door for her and slid in after her. "Savannah, this is my mom."

"How ya' doin', Jasper's mom?"

"It's Hale."

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, I forgot!" she laughed. "Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Hale."

"It's no problem. It's nice to meet you, Savannah. Your parents aren't home?"

"They're home."

"Don't they want to meet Jasper before you go out with him?"

"Oh my God! I would just die if Jasper had to meet them! It's no big deal, they know I'm being picked up by you."

"Is this your first date?" Lynnette asked as she backed out of the driveway.

"God, no! I've been on tons! I'm a freshman, so I've been out with a couple Sophomores even."

"Oh. Well, isn't that nice?" She caught Jasper's eye in the rear view mirror and he just shrugged.

The party was just getting started when they arrived. Jasper introduced Savannah to Kristy and some of his other friends, and asked her if she wanted a drink.

"Yeah! Got any beer?"

"Um… I don't know. Let me find out."

Jasper went into the kitchen where there were all kinds of 2 Liter bottles of soda pop on the counter next to an ice bucket and cups, but no beer.

"Hey, Jas! Have a nice Christmas?" asked Jennifer, a girl from school.

"Yeah! How about you?"

"Really nice! Thanks."

"Jen, do you know if Kristy has any beer?"

"Beer? Gosh, I don't know, Jas. I don't think so. Do you drink beer?"

"Naw. The girl I brought wanted some."

"Oh. Anyone I know?"

"Naw. She's a friend of a friend from Lake Geneva. She goes to Badger."

"You're here with a high school girl?"

"She's a freshman. I just met her last week."

"Oh. That's cool, I guess."

"Hey, Hale! How's it hangin', Man?" Tom Justen, Kristy's older brother, walked in, clapping him on the shoulder. "I saw the hottie you walked in with. Damn, Man! Where'd you find her?"

"She's a freshman at Badger. I met her through a friend."

"Damn! Hale! A freshman? Shit! You rock, Dude!" Tom laughed and clapped him on the shoulder again.

"Well, see you, Jasper." said Jen, not even acknowledging Tom, and slipped out the door.

"She wants a beer, but we seem to be out." said Jasper.

"Man! I'd like a beer, too, but my parents are around so it's a dry party."

"Yeah, I'll just get her some Coke, then." Pouring Savannah some cola, Jasper started for the door. "See ya' 'round, Tom."

"Yeah! See ya' later, you lucky fucker." Tom grinned.

Jasper grinned back and puffed out his chest a little. "Yeah, I am a lucky fucker." he thought.

Savannah was disappointed that there wasn't any beer, but she understood. "I forgot you guys are still kinda' young. There's always beer at high school parties." Stepping closer she said, "You know, Jasper, I've never actually dated someone younger than me before," she ran her hand down Jasper's chest. "but you are just so yummy, I couldn't turn you down."

He raised his eyebrows, but said, "I think you're pretty yummy yourself." He thought to himself, "God! That sounded so cheesy."

Savannah giggled. "Would you wanna' take a walk? Its getting really crowded in here." she added, looking up into his eyes.

Just then, Jasper saw Lauren staring daggers at them. "Um… sure. Lead the way." he said, eager to get out of her line of vision.

"Oh. I plan to." She said, leading him across the room by his hand.

Jasper's stomach felt like it was full of butterflies, but he was excited, too. He'd never kissed anybody before. He was hoping that was what Savannah had in mind.

She led him through the house, him introducing her to his friends as they went. They stopped to chat with a few of them, and then Savannah led him out the back door.

"Where are we going, Savannah?"

"Somewhere private… so we can talk and get to know each other."

She led him down the steps of the deck off the back of the house and into the dark yard. Pulling him under the deck, she walked over and leaned her back against the house, pulling him close to her.

Jasper stood there for a minute wondering what he should do and Savannah pressed herself against him and put her hands behind his neck. The top of her head came up to his nose so he didn't have far to lean to place his lips against hers.

She giggled and pulled him closer still. His stomach felt like it fell down by his knees somewhere and his heart started beating faster.

Savannah mashed her mouth to his and touched her tongue to his lips. He parted his mouth and touched his tongue to hers. She moaned and pressed her breasts tighter against his chest.

He felt his pants get tighter and tried to adjust his stance.

Pulling slightly away, Savannah giggled, "Is there a problem, Jasper?"

He looked at her, barely able to make out her face in the dark. "Well," he drawled, not sure what to say or do. "There may be."

"Jasper," she breathed against his mouth. "You're such a virgin. It totally turns me on." She lowered her hand to the front of his pants and he grabbed her hand. "Relax, Hot Stuff. I'm not gonna' hurt you." Giggling again, she shook off his hand and turned his back to the house. She pressed him against it and lowered her hand again. She just rested her hand there and placed her lips on his to continue where they left off.

Jasper felt himself growing harder again. Savannah chuckled into his mouth and rubbed him through his pants.

After a minute, or two, Jasper tore his mouth from hers and said, "Savannah, I… I need you to stop."

She licked his lip and said, "No, that's not what you need at all," and unzipped his pants, releasing him into her waiting hand. His heart seemed to stop and he let out a gasp. "Isn't that better?" she said in a breathy whisper.

He just swallowed and nodded. She laughed again and ran her nails along his length. "My… you are a big boy." He let out a low moan and she dropped to her knees.

He looked up to the underside of the deck and swallowed again. He couldn't believe this was happening. He liked it, for sure, but he didn't even really know Savannah and she was on her knees in front of his naked dick.

"Oh God!" he blurted, as she took him in her mouth. He felt her chuckle as she gave him the greatest pleasure he had ever known. Finally, he could take it no longer and he tried to pull away. She hung onto him and took him deep into her throat and almost back out again. She did this a couple more times and Jasper put his hands in her hair and threw back his head. Letting out a loud moan, he released into her mouth.

When it was over, Jasper sagged against the house and Savannah stood up. "Yum! You taste as good as you look, Hot Stuff. First time, huh?"

At this, he nodded, unable to speak yet. "Glad I could be of assistance." She purred laying on his chest and licking his throat. He put his hands on her upper arms and pulled her to him for a kiss. She pulled back after a minute and said, "Let's go back to the party, huh?"

"Sure… um… give me a sec, 'kay? he stuttered.

She laughed and ran her nails down his chest. "Sure thing, Big Guy."

He adjusted himself and fixed his pants and shirt. He grabbed Savannah's hand and they went back up onto the deck and into the house.

Jasper spotted Edward as soon as they entered the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow at him, and Jasper walked over, towing Savannah behind him. "Hey! Just get here?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, just a minute ago." Edward took in his red cheeks and messy hair and turned his eyes to Savannah. "Hi, Savannah."

"Hi, Edward." She gave him a kind of smug smile and he looked back to Jas.

"Well, I'll catch you later, huh?"

"Sure, Ed. See ya' later."

Edward walked away and Jasper poured Savannah and himself another cola. He handed her the cup and she caressed his hand before taking it from him. She put the cup to her lips and ran her tongue over the rim, looking up at him from under her lashes before taking a drink.

He gulped and took a big swig of his drink, his eyes widening slightly. Savannah giggled and led him out into the living room.

* * *

"How was your date?" Jasper heard when he opened his phone.

"Hey, Edward. It was good." Jasper answered, laying back on his bed.

"From the look on your face at the party, it was more than good." provoked Edward.

"Oh my God, Edward! You won't believe it! We went outside and I thought we were just gonna' make out and she… well, she gave me a… a BJ!"

"No frickin' way! Damn!" gasped Edward. "How was it?"

"Unbelievable! Man, I never thought something like that would happen! She was amazing!"

"Damn, Jas! You're gonna' be a legend at school!"

"No! Edward, you can't tell anybody! I am only telling you 'cuz you're my best friend. I'm not gonna' disrespect Savannah."

"Oh, right, Jas. Like no one knew." Edward taunted. "You walked around with this dumb smile on your face all night and a hickey on your neck. Your shirt was even pulled half out! Every guy there was envying you."

Jasper gasped, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cuz you were hangin' on your date's every word and didn't give anyone else the time of day." Edward laughed.

"Great," Jasper mumbled. "Now everyone will be giving me the third degree at school."

"No they won't! They'll be cheering the first 8th grader at William's Bay to ever get a real live BJ!"

They both laughed, Jasper at the joke, and Edward at Jasper's disbelief.

* * *

The elder Cullens and Hales went out for New Year's Eve a few days later. All of the kids were over at the Hale's house. Lynnette had ordered pizza and rented some movies. After the pizza was delivered, Rosalie started a movie and Jasper passed out plates and napkins. Emmette grabbed a can of soda and some pizza and made himself comfy on the couch.

"Emmette!" scolded Rosalie. "You could at least pass out soda for the rest of us before laying your big ass across the whole couch." She pushed his legs off the couch and sat down.

Edward and Jasper took their pizza and soda and sat on the remaining chairs. Alice looked at them all and sighed. With Em sprawled on the couch with Rose, and the boys in the chairs, there was nowhere for her to sit. She got a piece of pizza and a soda, and started to sit on the floor. Jasper let out a half groan, half sigh and patted the seat of his chair for Ali to join him. They had sat together in the chair many times before. Alice looked at him, sat on the floor and turned her head towards the TV.

Jasper looked at her for a minute, sighed again, and turned to the TV himself.

Alice barely ate her pizza, her throat felt like it was closing up. After Jas had yelled at her for laying on him last week, she didn't know how to act around him any more. He'd barely noticed her, or even said hi to her, tonight and she'd felt like she was about to cry pretty much the whole time they'd been here. Now her head was pounding and she just wanted to go home and go to bed.

The movie ended and Rosalie got up to clean up the pizza mess. "Ali? You didn't eat any pizza. Are you okay?"

"I'm not feeling that well, Rose. My head hurts and I am tired. Do you guys mind if I just go home?"

"Ali! You've never missed staying up with us on New Year's Eve since you were four years old! You can't go yet. Do you want to lay down in my room until Midnight?"

"Well,…"

"Come on, Ali!" pleaded Emmette. "Mom and Dad won't like you being home by yourself tonight any way. Lay down in Rosie's room for a while. Okay?"

Alice gave Rose a little smile, "Okay. Thank you, Rose."

Alice went up the stairs and lay on Rose's bed. She really wished she could just go home and get in her PJs and crawl into her own bed, but she didn't want to let anyone down. "Maybe a nap will help." she thought, and closed her eyes. The tears started to leak out before she could stop them and, before she knew it, she was sobbing into the pillow. Things were changing, she could feel it, but she didn't understand why. She heard a sound by the door and a soft, familiar voice.

"What's wrong, Ali Angel?" said Jasper sitting on the side of the bed.

Alice stiffened and kept her face in the pillow. "Nothing. My head just hurts."

"Ali? Please look at me. I'm sorry about what I said on Christmas Day. Will you turn over? Please." Jasper put his hand on her small shoulder and urged her to turn over.

"Jasper, please, just leave me alone." Her breath caught on a sob.

He looked down at her small form huddled up on the bed. He couldn't imagine Ali doing to him what Savannah had done the other night. The thought actually repulsed him and he was glad. Maybe everything would be all right now.

"If you really want me to leave you alone, I want you to say it to my face." He pushed.

Alice turned over and looked at him. His breath caught, she looked so beautiful with her long hair all over and her blueberry eyes sparkly with tears, surrounded by dark, spiky lashes. "Jasper, please leave me alone."

He smiled and reached out to brush the side of her soft, pink cheek. "Ali, you know I care about you a lot. You have been my favorite person since the day you came here. You've been more of a sister to me than Rose, and I have always felt that I could tell you anything, but, right now, I've got some weird stuff going on inside my head, and I just have to figure it out. I don't mean to hurt you. I would rather be hurt myself, than hurt you. Please just try to ignore me when I'm crabby. Please?"

"Okay, I'll try." she sniffed. "But, Jas, how come it's only me you're crabby with? You don't ever snap at Edward or Emmett, or Rose, either. Do I just annoy you without knowing I'm doing it? I just don't understand."

"Oh, darlin'," he pulled her into his arms. "You never annoy me. Never." He stroked his hand over her hair and down her back. She sighed and snuggled into his chest. He thought of the way Savannah had snuggled into his chest under the deck on Friday night. The difference was like having a mountain lion against his chest, compared to a fuzzy kitten. He preferred the soft, fuzzy kitten, but he needed the lion at this time in his life.

Rosalie appeared in the doorway. Jasper looked up and she raised her eyebrow. "Alice was crying and I was just comforting her."

"Alice, honey," Rose entered the room and Alice looked up. "What's going on?" Rose sat down. "Can I do anything?"

"Thank you, Rose. I'm okay." said Ali, sitting up and using her sleeve to dry her eyes.

"Do you want me to have Emmett take you home, Sweetie?" Rose smoothed back a lock of Ali's hair from her face.

"No. I'll be okay. I don't want to wreck everyone's New Year's."

"You're not wrecking anything. If you need to go home, you need to go home."

"Maybe I just need something to drink." said Alice. "I'll come down and have some water, or something."

"How about some juice? We have some orange juice in the fridge."

"That sounds good." Alice got off the bed. Rose got up and took her hand and they walked out of the room with Jasper close behind.

* * *

"Five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!" The Cullen and Hale kids yelled and jumped up and down. "Happy New year!" On TV, the Rockin' New Year's Eve program was showing people blowing horns and kissing. Emmett let out a 'whoop' and grabbed Rosalie to him, planting a big kiss right on her lips.

"Damn it, Emmett!" Rose yelled and kicked at him.

"Oh, Rose! Its New Year's Eve! Come on! Everyone kisses on New Years! See?" He grabbed Jasper and kissed him on the lips.

"Yuck! Emmett! You're gross!" complained Jasper, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve.

Rose and Alice laughed and Edward grimaced. Emmett grabbed Alice and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "Happy New Year, Ali Angel!"

"Happy New Year, Em!" She kissed him on the cheek and he lifted her over his head.

She squealed and he said, "Here, Jas! Your turn!" And acted like he was going to throw her at Jasper.

Alice screamed, "Emmett! Don't you dare!" But she was giggling hysterically.

He lowered her and then half tossed her to Jasper. Jasper caught her and she flung her arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life.

Rose slapped Emmett upside the head. "Emmett! Don't ever throw her like that again! What if Jas hadn't caught her?"

Alice looked up into Jasper's eyes, "Jasper will always catch me. I know he would never let me fall."

Jasper looked deep into her eyes and lowered his mouth to hers. He kissed her gently and Alice sighed and they both closed their eyes.

Jasper heard a gasp and looked up quickly, realizing what he had just done. Panicked for a second, he covered by saying, "Okay, Edward, your turn!" and handed Alice to Edward.

That night, he fell asleep thinking about how soft and sweet Ali's lips were and how much more excited he was thinking about that simple kiss, than he had been over what Savannah had done.


	16. A Legend in the Making

16.

A Legend in the Making

"Hey! Hey! It's Jasper Hale!"

"A William's Bay legend! Way to go, Hale!"

"Hey, Jasper! You rock, Dude!"

Alice looked up at Jasper with puzzled eyes. As soon as they walked into the school, the guys had started yelling at Jasper. He was beet red and had a goofy, half smile on his face. What had she missed?

Edward elbowed him, "What'd I tell you?" he said with a grin.

Jasper shrugged and tried not to look smug, but he was enjoying his notoriety a little too much. Alice shook her head and headed to her locker. What ever was going on, they wouldn't tell her any way. They never did.

"Hey, Ali! How was your New Year's?" Brent came up behind her.

She turned to him with a smile, "It was nice, Brent. How was yours?"

"Okay. I didn't do much. Just hung out with my parents and little brother. Sorry I couldn't come over on New year's Day. I had fun at my Grandma's, but I missed you!"

"I missed you, too, Brent!" Alice closed her locker and they started walking down the hall. "It was weird not seeing you for two weeks. Want to come over after school?"

Just then, they passed Jasper at his locker. "Yo', Jas!" called Brent. "I heard you had a pretty great Christmas break, huh?"

Jasper turned with a shit-eating grin on his face. "It was pretty great, Brent."

"You the man!" Brent laughed, knocking knuckles with him. "See you at lunch."

Alice watched this exchange with disbelief. "Okay." She thought, "I saw Jasper just about every day over Christmas, yet the whole school knows something I don't know."

"What was that all about?" Alice asked Brent once they were away from Jasper.

"Um, well, Ali, I don't know if I should say anything. Its not something guys really talk about with girls."

"Whatever. See you later." and Alice walked into the girl's bathroom. She was so sick of the boys in her life acting like she was too delicate, too young or too girly. They didn't treat Rose that way. She knew everything, but not her, no, she was never told anything.

Alice heard someone coming into the bathroom so she went into one of the stalls.

"Did you see him with that skank at Kristy's?" a feminine voice said.

"I know! Did you see the way she was dressed? She looked like a hooker." another voice added with a snicker.

"Well, at least we all know why he went out with her." a third voice piped in. "I hear she's given so many BJ's that she's practically a pro."

The three girls laughed. "Well, I guess Alice should give up on him. There's no way he's gonna' give Skank Girl up for Little Miss Innocent."

There was more laughter. "Yeah, like he would ever go out with her anyway!"

"I know! He's always like, 'Oh! Alice is like my little sister.' She still looks like an eight year old. That hag he was with definitely looks older than eight!"

"Ha! How could you tell? Was it cuz her boobs were hanging out the top of her shirt? Or was it cuz her ass was hangin' out of the bottom of her skirt?"

They all busted out laughing again.

"We better get to class. I think the second bell is about to ring."

"Yeah, let's go."

Alice stood in the stall with her cheeks burning. "Oh my God! They could only be talking about Jasper! They think I want to go out with him?" She was so embarrassed. "Does the whole school think that?" Her eyes opened wide and her hands flew to her face. "Oh my God! Does Jasper think that?"

She remembered their kiss on New Year's Eve. She had floated to bed that night with stars in her eyes, but she knew that Jasper had only thought he was kissing his little sister Happy New Year. She had just had her head in the clouds because she had just experienced her first kiss, and it made her feel wonderful.

Alice felt sick to her stomach. She left the stall and splashed some cold water on her face. Grabbing some paper towels, she looked at her self in the mirror. She did look eight. Besides being no taller than an eight year old, she had some dorky purple top on with long sleeves and a ruffle. Her hair hung down with no shape or style, and she had a purple headband on. If she walked into a third grade classroom, they'd tell her to take a seat, no questions asked.

Alice turned sideways, still looking in the mirror. Besides being dressed like a third grader, she was pretty much flat-chested, or had mosquito bites, as she heard Emmett say about a girl before. She had no style and she looked like a little kid.

Alice sighed, picked up her books and left the bathroom. She had a lot to think about and she was glad she didn't have to face Jasper in English for a couple more hours.

Dragging her feet down the hall, Alice thought about going to the nurse instead of English. Now that she knew what everyone thought, she was mortified. She knew she shouldn't wimp out, but it was so tempting. She got there just as the bell rang and grabbed an empty seat toward the front of the room.

"That worked out well." she thought. At least getting there late gave her an excuse not to sit by Jasper. She wanted to sneak a look back at him, but she didn't dare. She knew that's what they all expected, so she got out her notebook and began to take notes like she didn't have a care in the world. It was gonna' be a long hour.

"All right, class, I want your papers on my desk by Friday." the teacher said a few seconds before the bell was due to ring. "Let me know if you have any questions." The bell rang and everyone jumped up. "Don't forget to turn in your synopsis tomorrow!"

Alice walked out into the hallway. She knew Jasper was right behind her but she would die first before turning around. She made her way to her locker and grabbed her lunch box. "Hey, Alice!" came a voice from somewhere behind her.

Turning, Alice spotted Jessica Stanley waving to her. "Hi, Jessica!"

Jessica came up to her, "How was your Christmas?"

"It was really nice. How about yours?"

"It was nice, even though I had to put up with my sister for two straight weeks at our grandma's." Jessica laughed. "God! She's such a pain. I can't wait for next year when she'll be over at the high school."

"Yeah, me, too!" laughed Alice, Lauren was someone she definitely would not miss. "Edward will be over there, too. It'll be nice not having him checking up on me all the time like I'm a baby, or something."

"For sure! We'll actually be free for two whole years before we have to put up with them again! It'll be Heaven!" Both girls smiled at each other, "Alice, do you wanna' eat lunch with us?"

"I would like that, Jessica." She and Jessica made their way to the lunch room. Passing Brent on the way, Alice said, "Hey, Brent, I'm gonna' eat with Jessica today."

"Okay, Ali. Have fun." Brent looked a little surprised but he smiled.

"See you in Gym!" She called, and she and Jessica chatting the rest of the way to the lunch room.

* * *

"What the hell is Ali doing over at Jessica Stanley's table?" said Edward from their usual table across the lunch room.

Jasper and Brent looked over at Jessica's table. "She told me she was eating with her today." Brent told them.

"That's weird! I thought Ali hated her." Jasper said with a puzzled look on his face.

"I don't know anything about that," continued Brent, "but she talks to her a lot in Gym. They seem to like each other enough."

Edward and Jasper looked at each other. "I know she really hates her sister, Lauren, she's always picking on Ali, but I haven't seen Jessica pick on her since they were in, like, first grade."

They looked back over at Alice. "Well, she looks like she's having fun." said Jasper.

"Now," said Brent, turning back to the guys with a sly grin, "about Christmas Break, I need details, man!

* * *

Alice was having fun. The other girls welcomed her to the table and they talked about all kinds of things. One of the girls, Stephanie, even asked her about Brent and Jasper.

"Honestly, Stephanie, I'm not sure how I feel about Jasper. We've been close for a long time. As for Brent, I think he's really cute, but we are just friends. At least I think we are. We've never really talked about it, but I don't feel that way about him."

"You are so lucky, Alice!" said Janice. "You get to hang out with all of these gorgeous guys all the time! And you are so pretty! I used to be so jealous of you."

"You did?" Alice asked, astounded. "But, I don't understand. You are so pretty and dress so nice, and I look like a little kid."

"Ha! Alice, you are so beautiful!" gushed Janice. "Maybe you'd feel better if you got some new clothes, you know, something more stylish? I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but you could have any guy you wanted if you dressed a little older."

"Really? You think so?" Alice looked at each girl with wide eyes.

"We know so!" nodded Jessica. The other girls agreed. "We could all go shopping together, if you want. We could help you find some good stuff."

"That would be go great!" Alice squealed. "I can ask my mom if she'll drive us. Just let me know when you want to go."

"Cool! We'll have so much fun!" All four girls giggled and made plans.

Alice was so excited that she could barely sit still on the bus ride home. As soon as she stepped off the bus, she took off running. The boys got off the bus behind her and wondered what the heck she was up to now. She burst into the front door, "Mom! Mom! Where are you?"

"I'm in here, Ali! What's wrong?" Esme hurried into the living room, an expression of concern on her face.

"Mom! I was invited to sit with some girls at lunch and they even asked me to go to the mall with them! They told me they'd help me pick out some new clothes and we'd get our nails done!" Alice hopped up and down, a huge, happy smile on her face.

"Oh, Ali!" Esme exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you, honey!" And she gave her a big hug.

"I'm gonna' go over and see Rose. I'll be back in a little bit."

Okay, sweetie!" Esme laughed. "Be home for dinner."

Alice tore across the back yards. She let herself into the Hale's garage. "Rose?" she called. "Are you in here?"

"Yeah, Ali! I'm under the car."

"Rose, guess what! I got to sit with some girls at lunch today and they want me to go to the mall with them!"

"Ali! That's awesome!" Rose slid out from under her Camaro. She looked up at Ali with a big smile. "I'm so happy for you! It's about time you started hanging out with some girls for a change, instead of just the gruesome twosome."

Alice laughed. "Rose, you are so funny!"

Then, she suddenly got a serious look on her face and began fiddling with the tools on the work bench.

"Speaking of the gruesome twosome, Rose, can I ask you something?"

"Uh oh!" thought Rose, but she said, "Sure, Doll. What's up?"

"What's a BJ?"

Rose's eyes widened and she just stared at Alice for a second, "Uh, Ali? Where did you hear that? Did one of the boys tell you that?"

"No. I heard it at school. Supposedly, Jasper got one at that party he went to right before New Year's. Everybody was talking about it and I think I'm the only one who doesn't know what it means."

Rose stood up and walked over to Ali. "Ali, you heard that Jas got one?"

Ali nodded and Rose grimaced. "Yikes! I really don't want to tell you, but,… . Okay, well, um… B.J. stands for... blow job. Do you know what that is?"

Alice shook her head. "Of course you don't." Rose rolled her eyes and muttered, "I should make Emmett tell you." then she said, "Okay, well, its when a girl, er… a woman, uh… a person, er... kisses a man's, um… penis."

Rose watched Ali's eyes get really big, then she wrinkled her nose, "Gross! Rose, why would anyone do that? That is so nasty! Yuck!"

"Well, Ali… you know about sex, right?" Alice nodded. "Well, it feels good, that's why people do it."

"I thought people had sex to make a baby." Alice looked confused.

"Ali, maybe you better talk to your mom or dad about this."

"Rose! No! I can't! Please! Its too embarrassing." Alice pleaded. "I just wanted to know what everyone was talking about. No one tells me anything! I always feel like such a little kid."

"I know, Ali. I'm sorry. I should spend more time with you. I just want to get this car done, ya' know?"

"I know. Can I help you with it? I can hand you tools, or something."

"Sure, honey. That would be great! You can help me wash it when I'm done, too, OK? You can be my first passenger."

"Really? Cool! Thanks, Rose!" Alice hugged her.

"No problem, Doll Face. I'm gonna' go back under the car and finish up, but you can still talk to me, if you want."

"Okay, Rose, thanks."

Rose slid back under the car and Alice laid down on her back next to the car so she could see Rose.

"So, Rose?" Alice began tentatively, "People have sex because it feels good, but not always to make a baby?"

"Well, sure. If something feels good, you want to do it but you don't always want a baby. People use birth control when they don't want a baby."

"Oh. Birth control makes it so you can have sex without making a baby?"

"Yep." answered Rose. "Ali, hand me that long thing right there, will ya'? The one with the blue handle."

Alice handed her the tool. "Is that why some teenagers get pregnant, cuz it feels good and they forget to use birth control?"

"Exactly! Teenagers should wait to have sex until they're older, and then, only with someone they love."

In a small voice, Ali asked, "Rose, do you and Emmett have sex?"

"Ali!" cried Rose. "Why would you ask me that?" She looked over at Alice from under the car.

"I'm sorry! I just thought that, you know, since you and Emmett love each other... that maybe you did... you know."

She looked embarrassed and Rose chuckled. "It's okay, Ali. No, Emmett and I have not had sex. I'm not sure what's going on with us, but you're right, I do love him. I didn't think anyone knew."

"Um... well, me and my mom do. And I'm pretty sure your mom does, too."

"What?" Rose shrieked. "Our moms know? Oh my God!"

"It's okay, Rose! They think it's cute. They laugh at how Emmett is always following you around."

"Well, that is pretty cute, huh?" she giggled. "He's such a dork."

Alice giggled, too.

"Can I ask you one more thing, Rose, and that will be all?"

"Ali! I told you! You can ask me as many things as you want."

"Okay. Thanks. Uh, well, why would Jasper want someone to do that? You know..."

"Why would I want someone to do what?" came a masculine voice from the doorway.

Alice jumped and let out a little scream, turning terrified eyes toward Rose. Rose said, "What do you want, Jas?"

"I just came home from Edward's and wanted to see what you were doin'. I didn't know Ali was here."

"She's helping me with my car."

Alice looked up to see Jasper standing above her. "I'm handing her tools… and we're gonna' wash it and go for a ride when she's done."

Jasper gave her a half smile, but he had an uncertain look in his eye when he noticed how red her face was. "Cool. Well, I'm gonna' go work on my homework. Don't forget to do your synopsis for English, Ali."

"I won't, Jasper."

"Well, okay then… uh, bye." And he went back into the house and shut the door.

"Oh my God, Rose! Please don't tell him what I was asking you about." Alice was mortified. What if Jasper figured out what she was talking to Rose about?

"I won't, Ali."

"I know! But he will probably ask you after I leave."

"Humph! He knows I won't tell him anything I don't want to." Rose gave Ali a look that said 'he won't mess with me' and Alice laughed. "You're right, Rose. He knows better!"

Later, in her room, Alice tried to concentrate on her homework, but her mind kept wandering to what her and Rose had talked about. She really didn't know why Jasper would let some girl kiss him… there, but she wanted to know. Rose had said it felt good. If he would let her, maybe she would want to do that, but she didn't think so. She had liked when he kissed her on the lips, so maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought. Hmmm…. "Yuck!" she shook her head. "Never! Ewwwww!"

* * *

That Thursday was Jasper's birthday and Edward, Emmett and Alice were going shopping to find him a gift.

"Alice, got any ideas for Jas?" Emmett asked as they got in the car.

Alice shook her head. She had been trying to figure out what to get Jas for over a week now. "I can't think of anything, Em. Sorry!"

"Damn! Maybe a gift card, huh, Edward?" He looked at Edward.

"Yeah, but from where?"

"Ain't you guys starting a band, or some shit?" Emmett asked Edward. Edward nodded. "You're gonna' need speakers and crap. How about a card to the electronics store?"

"Hey! Good idea, Em!" The guys started heading in that direction, but Alice hung back.

"Uh, guys? Guys? Emmett!" They finally turned around and looked at her.

"What?" Emmett said.

"While you're over at the electronics store, I'm gonna' go to some other places."

"Ali, you gonna' be okay? Asked Edward.

"Geeze, Edward! I'm gonna' be thirteen pretty soon. Give me a break!" She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, "Besides," she added, "I've got my phone," and she turned to go in the other direction.

Alice bought a vintage black T-shirt for Jasper that had a band logo on the front. She thought it would look good on him while he was playing his guitar. She moved on to the music store and started skimming through the CDs. She heard a familiar voice and looked up. There was Jasper with some girl. She had messy blonde hair, big boobs and skin-tight jeans.

"She must be the hooker girl." Alice thought, with a smirk.

She started to go in the other direction but she heard Jasper say, "Hey, Ali!", so she turned with a smile and walked over to him.

"Hi, Jas!" She looked at the girl, but Jasper just said, "Who are you here with? You're not here alone are you?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm here with Edward and Emmett, Jasper."

Jasper looked around, "Where are they?"

"They're at another store. I'm meeting up with them when I'm done."

"They left you alone at the mall? What the hell were they thinking?" he started to pull out his phone.

"Jasper Hale! I am going to be thirteen years old! I do not need a babysitter at the damn mall!" She was livid. How dare he stand there with the girl who put her lips on his privates, and get all mad cuz she was in the store alone.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows, but before he could say anything, his friend piped up, "Jasper, even though she's small, she looks like she can handle herself for five minutes alone at the mall."

Alice looked at her, "Thank you." she said. "I'm Alice, by the way, Jasper's, ...what?" She looked at him. "Neighbor? Friend? Little sister? Best friend's sister? Parents friends' daughter?" She looked back at the girl. "Whatever I am to him today."

The girl laughed, "I'm Savannah. Wow! You're gonna' be thirteen? You sure are a little thing."

"Thanks for noticing." Ali said sarcastically, glaring at Jasper. "Well, I gotta' go find my babysitters." She turned back to Savannah, "Nice meeting you." And she turned on her heel and left.

God! The males in her life really made her mad! She wished for the millionth time that she would grow a foot overnight so they would all stop treating her like a baby!

Alice made her way to the store where the boys were. On the way, she passed a clothing store. She slipped inside to look around. She wanted to find something that would make her look older. On a mannequin was a sheer, black top with a black camisole underneath. The top had a fitted waist and sleeves that flowed to just below the elbow. The top was low cut so that the lace lining the neckline of the camisole shown above it.

Alice loved it. It didn't really show anything, but it looked like it could. Her eyes gleamed as she found one in her size. She then looked through the rack until she found a pair of low-cut black jeans. Going over to the dressing room, she asked for the key and went in. The jeans were too long, of course, even petites usually were, but the top fit perfectly. It even made her look a little bigger in the chest.

She took the clothes off and got dressed. As she walked toward the cashier, she spotted a pair of black leather half-boots with a small heel. "If they only had my size." she thought. Her feet were pretty small, but she could wear a size one in women's now. "A size one!" she said, looking them over. She couldn't believe it! It was like she was meant to get them.

She walked happily on down the mall to find her brothers. She didn't know when she would wear her new outfit, but she was happy.

The boys were waiting for her when she got there. "We were just about to call you." said Edward. "Jas called and said he saw you alone."

"The hell with Jas!" Alice said angrily. "He's not my father. I don't need him treating me like I can't take care of myself."

"Alice! I can't believe you said that!" gaped Emmett.

"Well, I'm tired of him acting like I'm a baby. I'm glad you don't do that, Emmett!" She smiled at him. "You are my brother. He's just some... friend of the family. He doesn't have any right telling me what to do."

The boys exchanged a look with raised brows as Alice started walking toward the exit to the parking lot. They followed behind her quietly for a change, for once shocked into silence at what their baby sister had said.


	17. A New Attitude

17.

A New Attitude

Lynnette stood in front of her mirror putting the finishing touches on her lipstick when Jasper knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Honey!" she called. She turned from the mirror and smiled at the birthday boy. "Fifteen! I can't believe it! My baby, is growing up so fast!"

"Aw, Mom!" She kissed his cheek, "Mom! You're gonna' get lipstick all over me!"

"Jasper Logan Hale! Don't you wanna' give your mama some sugar? Especially on your birthday! Don't you know what I went through to bring you into this world?" She looked up at him with pouty lips and sad, sparkling green eyes.

"Mom! Give me a break!" He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling but pulled her into his arms for a big hug and a sweet kiss on the cheek.

When he let her go, she looked up at him with a grin. "I knew you couldn't resist giving some sugar to your mama!"

"You think that pouty face is always gonna' work on me?" he asked her, his green eyes, so like hers, sparkled with his waiting grin.

She grinned again and said, "Yep!"

They both laughed, turning as one when they sensed someone in the doorway.

"What's going on in here? You getting' fresh with my woman, young man!" Jackson put Jasper in a head lock, though he really had to bend him over to do it. "Damn, boy! You're gonna' be taller than your old man pretty soon!"

"Dad! Geeze! Come on! Your gonna' mess up my hair!"

"That reminds me, Jasper, my dear, I think you're due for a hair cut."

Jackson let him go after giving him a noogie. "Mom, I wanna' leave it a little long." He said, running his hand through it to try and straighten it out. "Edward and I think it will look better for our band if our hair is a little long."

Lynnette looked up at Jackson with a twinkle in her eye, then back at Jasper. "Oh, okay. What's the name of this band, anyway?"

"We don't have one, yet, but we've got about ten songs written between the two of us, and we finally found a drummer. It'll be great!" exclaimed Jasper.

"Well, I for one, can't wait to hear you!" Jackson said, patting Jasper on the back. "Hey! Why don't you guys play at our Fourth of July party this year? Just a few songs, I'm sure everyone will be excited to hear you, and that'll give you some time to get everything together."

"Jas!" exclaimed Lynnette. "That would be great! You could play a few songs and then we could open the pool. What do you think?"

"Cool! I'll talk to the others, but I'm sure that'll be fine!"

The three of them walked out of the room and down the hall together. Rosalie was waiting in the living room reading a book. She stood up when they entered the room.

"You guys ready? Emmett called a few minutes ago to remind us that the reservations are for six."

"Okay, we better get going then." said Jackson, grabbing Lynnette's coat and helping her put it on. "Rose, you riding with us, or Em?"

"I'm riding with Em since you guys are picking up Jasper's friend."

"Okay, we'll see you there, then. Here's your coat, Jas. We better head out." Jackson ushered them out the door.

Emmett was just coming up the walk. "Hey, Mr. Jackson! I'm here to get Rose."

"Thanks, Emmett! That's thoughtful of you. We're going to get Jasper's girl. We'll see you at the restaurant." He held the door for Lynnette and got in himself. Jasper waved and got in the back, and they backed out of the drive.

"Hey, Rose. Ain't Alice, Jasper's girl? Who else is coming?"

"Not any more. He's bringing some tramp to dinner. I heard he got blown by her at a party. I do _not_ want to meet her."

"Jasper? He's only fourteen! Dang! No fair!" He shook his head, "Lucky, fucker!"

"Emmett!" Rose gave him the evil eye.

"Sorry, Rose." he said sheepishly.

* * *

Carlisle pulled out the chair for Esme, "Here you go, My Heart."

"Thank you, My Love." Esme sat down and looked over at the kids. Emmett helped Rose into her chair, and Edward did the same for Alice. She smiled at their good manners. She was proud that their kids were growing into such nice, polite young ladies and men.

"Hey! Look at all of the lovely ladies at this table!" boomed Jackson. "I wanna' sit with them!"

The girls laughed, as he stooped to kiss Esme on the cheek. "How you doing, Essie? Your man being good to you?"

"Always, Jackson. How are you? You've been working so much, I haven't seen you since New Year's."

Jackson helped Lynnette off with her coat and pulled out her chair, "I know, I know, but we'll have that office of ours open soon, hey, Carlisle? Then, maybe we'll have more time with these gorgeous ladies of ours."

Jasper and Savannah walked up to the table. "Happy birthday, Jasper!" they all said to him.

He grinned and thanked them, then turned to Savannah, "This is Savannah, everyone. Savannah, this is my sister, Rosalie, and you met Alice. This is her mom and dad, we call them Ms. Esme and Mr. Carlisle, and this is her brother, Emmett, and her other brother, Edward."

"Nice to meet you all." she said, taking the seat Jasper held out for her. "My, Alice, you got some big, handsome brothers, don't ya'? Your dad ain't small, neither. You must've got the short stick, huh?" She laughed and elbowed Jasper, "The short stick, get it?"

Jasper attempted a smile, but he saw the hurt and anger flare in Alice's eyes. "Savannah," he said gently, "Alice is adopted. She's always been tiny, but she isn't happy about it and prefers for us not to bring it up."

"Well, Alice. That's just the way you are." she said, looking at Alice again. "You gotta' make the most of what you got, Honey. That's what I do." And she held her hands out to each side of her as if to say, 'see?'

She had on a low-cut red blouse and you could see the very edge of a black bra underneath. She had on a lot of make-up and her hair looked like she had just got out of bed.

Lynnette gave Esme a look across the table, and raised her brows. "Well", Esme said, "its nice to meet you, Savannah." Then she picked up her menu and said, "Let's figure out what we're going to eat. I'm starved."

Everyone nodded and picked up there menus. Jasper looked around at his family and caught Edward's eye. Edward frowned at him and looked down at his menu. Jasper sighed and looked over at Alice. Her cheeks were bright red and, though she was looking down at her menu, he could see that she kept blinking. "Damn it!" he thought. "If she starts crying, I'm gonna' kill Savannah." He looked her way next. She looked up and smiled at him. He gave her a polite smile and looked back at his menu.

* * *

"Lynne, I don't think I have any room for ice cream and cake. That meal was great! I am stuffed." Jackson unlocked the front door and they all entered the house.

"I am, too" said Carlisle. "Those steaks were huge!"

"Well, you didn't have to eat the whole thing, you know?" said Esme with a laugh, playfully slapping him on the arm.

They all took off their coats, handed them to Jasper and started into the living room. As Jasper was putting the coats in the hall closet, Emmett came up behind him. "Here, Jas, let me do that. I wouldn't leave your date with our parents or Rose for too long."

"Thanks, Em. I guess I shouldn't have brought her." Jasper looked worried.

"Its okay, Jas. No harm done. She's just not used to us, that's all." Emmett tried to smooth things over. "Besides, everything went okay after we ordered."

"Yeah, I guess." Jasper looked a little relieved. "Thanks."

"No prob, birthday boy." Emmett smirked at him.

Jasper grinned and left him for the living room. He could hear Savannah's voice before he saw her. "Rosie, ya' know, your hair would be really pretty if you fixed it up some."

"Oh God!" he thought. "Rose is gonna' kill her." He hurried in. "Hey, Rose! Thanks for keeping Savannah entertained." Rose gave him a killing look and he knew he was in for it later.

"Okay, Jas. Ready to open some gifts?" his dad asked. "Your haul looks pretty good there, kid."

Jasper smiled and nodded. His dad had him sit down and then Emmett and he lugged over two huge, brightly wrapped boxes. He couldn't believe how great his parents were. They got him some speakers and an amp for their band. "You guys are awesome! Thank you!" He hugged them both and kissed his mom on the cheek. "This is so great!"

Edward added, "Yeah! Thanks! Its not even my birthday and it's like I got gifts, too!" He and Jasper knocked knuckles and everybody laughed.

"Ooh, Jazzy!" Savannah squealed, "You and Eddie are starting a band? That is so cool!"

"Uh, yeah, we're still getting' it together." answered Jasper.

"Here's another gift, Jas." Rose handed him a gift bag.

Jasper opened the rest of his gifts and they all moved into the dining room for cake and ice cream. Savannah sat next to Jasper and ran her hand up his thigh while his family sang Happy Birthday to him. After he blew out his candles, she attempted to monopolize his attention with awkward conversation and inappropriately placed hands. Jasper was relieved when his dad finally suggested that it was late and they should probably get Savannah home.

When they left, Rose and Emmett went into the living room to watch a movie, and Carlisle got up and went with them. Alice excused herself to use the bathroom. As soon as they were alone, Lynnette growled, "Esme! I can't stand that girl! If she had said one more insulting thing to either of our girls, I swear I would've jumped up and tore her ratty hair out!"

Esme burst out laughing and Lynnette looked at her incredulously, then she burst out laughing, too.

When Esme could catch her breath, she said, "Welcome to the world of floozy girlfriends, huh?"

"I know! But I didn't think it would start until he was older. My God, Es, he just turned fifteen today and he's already been out with her a few times. Every time I take him to pick her up, I just cringe."

"She is something, Lynne." They started laughing again. "That's what you get for having such a hunky kid. The skanks are gonna' be coming out of the woodwork! Just pray he gets it out of his system before its time for grandchildren."

"Esmerelda Cullen! Hush your mouth!" she gasped. Then, with a moan she said, "Oh God! I better have Jackson have a talk with him. My innocent little baby. What am I gonna' do?"

"Hang in there, and hope and pray that your son uses the good judgement God gave him. He's a good kid, Lynne. He'll be all right."

"I sure hope so! Its so hard to keep my mouth shut. I hope she doesn't stick around too long."

Alice didn't mean to eavesdrop when she came back from the bathroom, but she was glad the moms didn't like Savannah. She had been mean to her and Rose for no reason. She kissed up and acted all sweet to the guys, and she pretty much just ignored the moms, but she kept making snide remarks all night about her and Rose. She covered them as though they weren't insults, but she knew they were. She hoped Jasper didn't bring her over again for a while, she didn't want him to be mad if she slipped and said something mean back to her. She was just tired of keeping her mouth shut and didn't know how long she could do it.

* * *

"Let's try it again, Jas. I think we're close." Edward and Jasper were working on getting the melody for their first song down on paper. They were in the garage and saw the door open. They heard someone talking in the house and then saw Jasper's mom let Brent into the garage.

"Hey guys! Ready to try out some tunes?"

"Hey Brent! Come on in! We've just been working on one of the songs we wrote. Maybe you can help us before we work on the other stuff."

"Cool! Let's do it." Brent spotted Rosalie's car. "Whoa! Wait a minute! Is that a '99 Camaro?"

"Dude! Don't touch the car! My sister will kill you!" Jasper put down his guitar and hurried over by Brent who walked over by Rose's car.

Brent turned to him with big eyes, "Dude? Seriously? Your sister's car? Nice. Who's working on it?"

"She is."

"What? She is? You mean, _she_ is restoring this baby? Wow! I gotta' meet your sister."

"Yeah, she rebuilt the engine and rehabbed the interior. She's having someone else paint it in a couple weeks." Jasper chuckled when he added, "And, dude? Not only is she too way too old for you, but she doesn't like guys."

Brent's eyes popped. "She's a lesbian?"

"No." He looked thoughtful. "At least, I don't think so. She just doesn't tolerate many people, especially guys. She thinks they're all immature and asinine. She's pretty much right, huh?"

They all laughed.

"Well, she has a fan, 'cuz this car is hot. Very hot." Brent admired the interior, and then got down on the floor and looked under the car.

"You know about cars?" Edward asked.

"A little, yeah. My dad and I are rebuilding an '92 Corvette ZR1. We just started a couple months ago, but its gonna' be sweet!"

"Very cool!" whistled Jasper.

"Yeah! Sounds great!" agreed Edward. "We'll have to come over and see it."

"For sure! Well, what're we gonna' work on?" asked Brent, and they got back to band business.

* * *

"Okay, Mom, what do you think?" Alice jumped out from behind the door at the beauty shop. "Ta da!"

"Alice!" Esme breathed, "It looks beautiful!"

"Do you really think so? Its shorter than I planned, but I didn't realize how long my hair actually was."

"It's gorgeous, Ali, really." Esme went over to her and turned her around. "Its still pretty long, its to the middle of your back."

"I know! The stylist said it was down to the waist of my pants. I didn't think it was that long."

"Well, it looks wonderful and you can still wear it up or with a headband. I can even teach you how to do a french braid, if you want."

Alice hugged her mom tightly. "Mom, you are the best! Thank you so much for letting me cut my hair. Daddy isn't going to be mad, is he?"

"Of course not, Ali. He knows you're growing up and need to start making your own decisions. Besides, I told you, it looks adorable."

"Mom, thanks, but I don't really want to look adorable, you know what I mean?"

"Okay, how about, mature and stylish?" Esme smiled.

"That sounds better." Alice laughed.

After Alice's hair cut, mother and daughter spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for new clothes. When they got home, they were exhausted, but happy. Alice couldn't wait to wear all her new clothes, but first, she had to show her dad her hair. Despite what her mom had said, she was still a little nervous about his reaction.

She slowly walked into the living room. He was sitting in his chair with the newspaper.

"Hi, Daddy! How do you like my hair?" Alice said hesitantly.

Carlisle put down the paper and looked up. "How do you do? Are you a friend of Alice's?"

"Daddy! Be serious! I really want to know what you think!" She went over and crawled on his lap.

"Alice, it looks really pretty." He touched the ends of her hair. "It does. I'm glad you kept it long, though, I'm not ready to give up my little girl totally."

Alice hugged him and kissed his cheek. "You know I'll always be your little girl, Dad. I'll just be older." She giggled and messed up his hair as she got off his lap.

"He chuckled. "You little rascal, I'll get you later. By the way, do we have any money left, or do I go back to double shifts at the hospital?"

"We have a little left," she teased. "at least until I go to the mall again."

"Well, I better at least get a fashion show. If we're in the poor house, I want to see where the money went."

"Okay, how about I show you a couple outfits now?" she grinned.

"You got it, Angel!" He chuckled again and raised his paper as she skipped off to change.

* * *

"Jasper!" called his dad. "That's enough for tonight. You guys can start up again tomorrow, but I need some peace for now."

The boys stopped playing and sighed. "Does it sound that bad, Dad?" Jasper looked at his dad in the garage doorway.

"No! Actually, you guys sound really good! I am pleasantly surprised. Its just that I'm ready for a quiet Saturday night, okay?" He smiled.

"Sure. Okay, Dad. Thanks!"

"Yeah! Thanks, Mr. Carlisle!" said Edward, putting the cover over his keyboard.

"Thank you for letting us play as long as you did, Dr. Hale. We need all the practice we can get before July." added Brent.

"No problem, Brent. Like I said, you guys sound really good. Maybe we could get the garage soundproofed. You know, I was gonna' do that when Rose started on her car, but there was never a need, so I forgot about it. I'll have to check into that."

"That would be awesome, Dad! Then we wouldn't have to worry about disturbing anyone."

"Okay, we'll see about it. Brent, do you need a ride home? It's getting dark."

"No, thank you, Dr. Hale. I have a light on my bike and it's not that far."

"All right, have a good night then!" He went back into the house and the boys chatted for a minute before Brent left for home.

"Jas, wanna' come over and play Xbox for a while?" asked Edward.

"Sure, let me make sure it's okay with my dad." He closed his guitar case and said, "Come on."

"Fine with me." Jackson said when they asked about Jasper going to Edward's and the boys put on their coats and walked next door.

Edward looked up at the sky. "Hey! Its finally staying lighter longer. There's even some buds on the bushes over there."

"Yeah! Cool! A couple more months and we'll be out of middle school for good." Jasper put his hands in his pockets and sniffed the air. "I love spring. It means summer is right around the corner."

They walked into the Cullen house and took off their jackets. There were voices in the living room as they made their way into the room.

"Hey Mom! Dad! Can we play Xbox for a while before dinner?"

"Sure, Edward. Hi Jas!" said Carlisle.

"Hi, Mr. Carlisle! Hi, Ms. Esme!" Jasper greeted them.

"Jas," said Esme. "Want to stay and have pizza with us? Carlisle and I are going to a movie after, so you might as well stay over, if you want."

"Thanks! I'd love to!" smiled Jasper.

"Okay, Dad! What do you think of this one?" called Alice as she came bouncing down the stairs and into the room.

"Alice!" Jasper gasped. "What did you do to your hair?"

Alice put a hand to her hair. "I cut it. Why? Does it look awful?"

"No, it looks nice, but its so short." Jasper said, looking like he swallowed something sour.

"Its not that much shorter, and I like it, so I really don't care what anyone else thinks." Alice said with her nose in the air.

"Alice! Is that any way to talk to Jasper?" Esme was taken aback. She had never heard Alice take that tone with Jasper before.

Alice looked ashamed, but she still had a glint in her eyes as they settled on Jasper again. "I'm sorry, Jasper. I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's okay, Alice. I was rude myself. I was just shocked, that's all. Your hair looks really pretty."

Alice gave him a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you." she said before dismissing him and going over by her dad to show him her new outfit.

Jasper couldn't stop looking at Alice while they ate. Her hair made her look so much older. It wasn't really that short. It was still way down her back, but it was cut in long layers around her face and she now had wispy bangs. It made her eyes look even bigger and bluer, too. He tried not to stare, but he couldn't help it. She looked even more beautiful than before.

Alice had noticed him looking at her, but when she glanced at him, he looked quickly away. "Fine!" she thought. "I don't care if he doesn't like my hair. He's a big butt head any way. Who cares what he thinks?" And she ignored him through the rest of dinner.

Carlisle and Esme left for the movie and Alice made her way up to her room. Emmett was out somewhere with his friends and there was no way she was staying down here with the gruesome twosome, as Rose had called them. She sat on her bed and got out her laptop. "I'll just read some FanFics," she decided, and settled down to read.

After about a half hour, Alice felt uncomfortable in her clothes and changed into a tank top and sweat pants and brushed her teeth. Settling back on the bed, she sighed, "Ah! That's better." and began reading where she left off.

* * *

Alice felt her eyes began to droop and saw that she had been reading for over two hours. She turned off her laptop and snuggled into her bed. She had just dozed off when her eyes snapped open. She looked towards her door for the source of the noise she'd heard, but the door was closed. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and let out a squeak as a hand clamped hard over her mouth. A large, dark silhouette loomed over her and she struggled in a panic to get out of her bed.

"Shhhhhhhh! Ali! It's just me!" Jasper whispered.

She stopped struggling and pushed his hand away. "Damn it, Jasper! You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, Ali. I didn't mean to. I was just trying to see if you were asleep and I didn't want you to wake anybody up." He sat on the side of her bed. "I wanted to talk to you a sec, okay?"

"I suppose." she reluctantly agreed, sitting up and clutching the sheet to her chest. She pushed her hair out of her face and looked up at him. It was dark, but she could make out his features in the faint glow of the electronics in her room. His hair was hanging over his eyes and he was looking down at the bed. "Alice? I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry I acted like a jerk about your hair." He looked up at her. "I think it looks really nice and, you look beautiful." He put his hand up to it and stroked it. "I guess I was just shocked that you looked so different. Will you forgive me?"

"Yes." she whispered, looking into his eyes. They darkened and his hand moved to the back of her neck. He leaned toward her and she forgot to breathe. He touched his lips to hers and she let out a little sigh. His lips were strong, but so soft, and she had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. He deepened the kiss and slid his other hand around her waist. She put her hands on his shoulders and the sheet slipped down. He pressed her up against his chest and started to lower her back down to the bed. Warning bells went off in her head, but she was too caught up in the feelings to protest. Jasper lay half on her and she knew this was wrong. His lips moved over hers and her head spun. She knew she should tell him to stop, but what he was doing felt so right that she couldn't.

Suddenly, she felt Jasper tense and he pulled back. She just lay there looking up at him with her eyes half closed. "You're so beautiful, Ali." He whispered, brushing his thumb over her lower lip. "I shouldn't have done that, but I just couldn't resist. Please don't be mad at me any more. I can't stand it when you're mad at me."

"Okay." she mumbled, still lost in the glow of his kiss. He kissed her on the forehead and got up. "I better get out of here before your dad finds me. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay." she sighed, her eyes following him as he moved toward the door. "Good night, Jas."

"Good night, Sweetheart." And he was gone.


	18. Secret Love

18.

Secret Love

Alice was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast when the boys came downstairs the next morning. She looked up at them as they entered the kitchen, and Jas gave her a secret smile. She smiled back shyly and looked back down at her pancakes.

"Hey, Ali!" greeted Edward, helping himself to the pancakes left in the warmer on the stove. "Jas, want some pancakes?"

"Sure, I'll get us some milk." answered Jas.

They sat across from Ali and started eating. Alice looked up at Jasper from under her lashes. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was looking right at her. He gave her a cheeky grin and she felt her face turn red. Her eyes flew to Edward to see if he noticed, but he was busy putting syrup on his pancakes. She glanced at Jasper again, grinned and looked back down.

Alice felt that same strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that she had felt last night. She still couldn't believe that Jasper had come to her room in the middle of the night and kissed her. She woke up feeling so very happy, but she also felt very confused.

Why had he kissed her? He had said he shouldn't have, but that he couldn't resist. Did that mean he was in love with her? She had always loved him, but was she _in_ love with him? She didn't know what to think.

She looked up from under her lashes again. He was still staring at her with that goofy smile on his face, all the while, mindlessly shoveling pancakes into his mouth. His shiny, blonde hair hung over his forehead and curled up a little around his ears and neck. His soft green eyes shown with their secret, and his cheeks held a slight blush. He looked so cute. She sighed and looked over at Edward. He was clueless, as usual. No wonder he and Jasper had no idea that Rose and Emmett were in love. She sighed again and looked down. A smile stole across her face, she was just so darn happy!

Edward broke the silence. "Jas, wanna' see if Brent can come over so we can practice our new song for a while? We have to be ready for Fourth of July."

Ali's head came up. She looked at them both in disbelief. "Brent? My Brent? Is in your band?"

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, your Brent?"

"I can not believe that you guys asked Brent to join the band and you didn't even tell me!" Alice threw her napkin on the table and got up. "You are both just… Neanderthals! You couldn't just mention it to me, maybe in passing, that Brent was in the band? God! This is so typical!" She stamped her foot and left the kitchen.

Edward looked at Jasper, "What the hell was that about?"

Jasper said, "Since when is Brent hers?"

Alice stomped up to her room. She hated them! Hated! Them! Now she knew why Jasper kissed her last night. He knew she would be mad when she found out about Brent joining the band, so he figured he'd soften her up first. Why did they always have to use her? Hurt her? Brent was her best friend. Her only friend. At least, he had been until she'd become friendly with Jessica. They had to ruin everything! Always! She was always too young, or too small, or too… stupid!

"Aaaarrrrgh!" She punched a stuffed Teddy Bear, wishing it was Jasper. Hot tears poured down her face. She'd show them! She'd show them both!

* * *

"Geeze! I'm so sick of Ali's dramas! What the hell is her problem now?" Edward looked at Jasper. "Got any ideas?"

"Well," Jasper said, "Maybe its the fact that we asked Brent to be in the band and never even mentioned it to her? Just a guess."

"Well, its not like she owns him, or anything! I mean, does she think she owns everyone? First you, now Brent? I didn't even know they were going together. Did you?"

"What do you mean, 'First me'?" asked Jasper.

"Oh my God, Jas! When she was a baby! Remember? It used to piss me off so bad! You would do anything she wanted! Now she thinks Brent should check with her before he joins the band? Who does she think she is?" Edward exclaimed. "Besides, if she's pissed, she should be pissed at him, not us. If he's her boyfriend, don't you think he should've told her?"

"Yeah. I guess so." Jasper was really bummed. Not only was Alice seriously angry at them, but Brent was her boyfriend? Damn!

* * *

Rosalie let Alice into the garage where the boys were practicing. They didn't notice her at first, so she just stood and listened. Jasper was singing and playing the guitar, Edward was playing the keyboards and Brent was playing the drums and singing back-up. They sounded pretty good, especially for only playing together for a little over a month.

The song ended and they started talking about what they could do to make it better. Brent saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Ali! Hey! What'd ya' think?" He got up from the drums and came loping over with a huge smile on his face. Alice looked over at Jasper but he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"You guys sounded really good, Brent! I can't believe you've only been playing together for a month!" Lowering her voice and turning slightly away from the other boys, Alice said, "Brent? How come you didn't tell me you were in the band?"

Brent got a surprised look on his face. "Didn't Edward or Jas tell you? I thought you knew." He looked over at the guys. Edward looked curious, but Jasper kept his head down and played with his guitar strings. "I'm sorry, Ali. I would've told you, but I figured they did. Besides, I haven't really talked to you much lately."

"Been busy with the band, huh?" She looked up at him with her eyebrow raised.

He looked guilty, then said, "Well, you have been sitting with Jessica at lunch, and there isn't much time to talk in Gym."

"And you never hang out with me anymore… 'cuz you're over here, with them." she said, accusingly.

He looked down, sheepishly, then he looked up at her from under his lashes and gave her a half grin. "Sorry, Ali. It's just really exciting playing in the band. I'm having a blast."

"I am glad your having fun, Brent." She gave him a little smile. "Can I talk to you outside for just a second?"

He looked confused, but said, "Sure." He turned to the boys again, "Hang on a sec. I'll be right back." and he followed Alice through the door leading to outside.

Edward looked at Jasper who was still looking at the door. "Uh oh! I guess someone else is gonna' get reamed for a change, huh?" and he grinned.

Jasper just looked at him and said, "Yeah, I guess."

Alice looked up at Brent who was looking at her with curious eyes. "What's up, Ali? You ain't gonna' yell at me, are ya'?" He tried to give her the puppy dog look, but Ali put her hand on his chest and said, "I need to ask you something kind of serious. It's probably a stupid question, but I have to ask it, okay?"

"Sure, Ali."

"Are we best friends, or… more? I mean… do you think of me as your best friend still, or am I your… uh… girlfriend, or what?" Alice's face was bright red, but her gaze never wavered.

Brent's face turned red, too, and he looked down at his feet. "Um… Ali, I don't… uh, really feel that way about you. Don't get me wrong, you're really pretty and fun, and I really, really care about you," he said, looking at her, "but, not like that. Sorry. Now I feel like shit."

"No! It's okay, Brent. I don't feel that way about you, either!" She gave him a big, happy smile. "I really love you, you're my best friend, but I am _in_ love with someone else. At least I think I am."

"Really? Anyone I know?" he grinned and poked her in the stomach. "Come on, come on, you can tell me."

She laughed, "Stop, Brent! I'm not going to tell you no matter how much you tickle me!"

"Ali! You're supposed to tell your best friend everything, right?" Brent laughed.

"I will tell you, I promise, but I'm kind of confused right now. Let me figure it out and then I'll tell you. Okay?"

"Okay!" he chuckled. "You are so adorable!" He kissed her on the cheek just as Jasper walked out the door. Ali's eyes flew to his and he looked back at her with angry eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt. My mom wants to know if you two would like to join us for lunch."

"Sure, Jas! Thanks!" Brent replied. Looking back at Alice he told her, "I'll call you tonight and we can talk some more, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Brent." She smiled at him and looked back at Jasper. "Can I talk to you, Jas?"

"Ali, I just want to know if you're staying for lunch, or not."

Alice just looked at him for a second. "No, Jasper, I don't think I am. Please tell your mom I said thank you, anyway." Then turning back to Brent, she said, "Talk to you later, Brent." and she went back home.

Back in her room, Alice thought about Jasper and Brent, and how screwed up things could get in just a few hours. Last night and this morning, she had felt like she was the luckiest girl on earth. Now she was just confused. "Did Jasper only kiss her so she wouldn't be mad about Brent, or did he kiss her because he wanted to? After she had cooled off earlier, it seemed like he had kissed her because he wanted to. She had gone to his house to talk to him, but now, he wouldn't talk to her again.

She wasn't officially going to be a teenager for another six weeks, but she was already sick of it. If this is what it's like to be a teenager, she didn't want anything to do with it!

* * *

After dinner, Alice put her sweater on and went out the back door. She had decided that Jasper was going to talk to her, whether he liked it, or not. She marched across the backyards and rapped on his back door. He grimaced when he looked out the window, but opened the door.

"We need to talk, Jas, now." Alice said firmly.

Jasper thought about what Edward had said about him always doing whatever she wanted. He shook his head, "Not now, Ali. I'm busy."

She grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands. "Jasper! Please! Just for a minute."

She looked so desperate, he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. "What do you want, Ali?"

Alice lowered her hands and took a deep breath, "Jas, I'm sorry I got so mad at you this morning. I'm just so tired of being left out of everything all the time." She looked down at her feet, "I also thought that you, maybe, came to my room last night to, you know, soften me up, so I wouldn't be mad that you let Brent join the band. I know it's stupid, especially since he's been playing with you for over a month already, but, he's my best friend and he never spends any time with me any more, 'cuz he's always with you guys now, and, like, I just really don't know what to think, and I'm, you know, kind of confused. I really liked when you, you know, kissed me, but I don't know why you did it, so I came over to talk to you, and then, Brent was here, and he stayed for lunch, and you wouldn't talk to me, and..."

"Ali! Ali!" Jasper gently lifted her chin, "Breathe." He chuckled as she looked up at him with big, luminous eyes.

"Jasper," she whispered, "why did you kiss me?"

He gazed down at her for a minute, and then grabbed her hand, "Come on."

He led her away from the back door and around to the alcove by the back of the garage where no one could see them. He turned her so her back was to the wall. "You want to know why I kissed you?" he asked her.

She nodded, her eyes still sparkled, but now they held a touch of fear.

"I kissed you because you are so sweet, and so beautiful, and you make my heart pound every time I'm near you. You drive me crazy, Ali. I tried to stay away from you, but I can't. I'm not strong enough to resist you."

He lowered his head and kissed her. She gasped at the feeling and he slid his tongue in between her soft, sweet lips and put his hands on each side of her waist. She started to pull away, but he pulled her tighter to him and whispered against her lips. "Ali, it's okay." and continued to kiss her.

Ali melted against Jasper's chest and he ran his hands up her back, under her shirt. He groaned, her skin was so soft and her lips were so sweet.

Ali pressed tighter against Jasper's hard chest. Her head was spinning and her body almost felt like it was humming. Suddenly, she realized that something was poking against her stomach. It took her a minute to figure out what it was, she was so lost in Jasper's kisses, then she let out a small squeak as realization dawned and pushed her hands against his chest.

She tore her mouth away, "Ewwwww! Jas! Get off me!"

He pulled back and looked at her blankly. Then he smiled at her and put his forehead against hers. "Sorry," he whispered. "I got a little carried away."

She giggled, and they grinned at each other.

"So," Jasper said, still grinning at her, "does this mean that you and Brent aren't going together?"

"He's my best friend, Jas."

"Good." He frowned, but his eyes were soft, "I wanted to beat him up when you called him, 'my Brent' this morning, and I wanted to kill him when I saw him kiss you this afternoon."

Ali smiled, "You were jealous? For me?"

"Yes, for you." Jasper reached out and stroked her hair back. "Is that so hard to believe?" He looked down into her eyes and then kissed the tip of her nose. "You are very special, Ali, don't ever believe otherwise."

"Thank you, Jasper. I think you're very special, too."

"Thank you, Ali Angel." He let out a sigh, "You should probably get home, darlin'. It's getting cold and your mom'll be lookin' for you. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay. Can I ask you one more thing, first?" At his nod, she said, "Are we going together, now?"

He frowned, looking thoughtful, "Well, yeah, I guess we are. If you want to, that is."

"Yes," she sighed happily.

"There is one thing, though. Um... well, two, actually. I have to break it off with Savannah, and, well, you can't tell anybody."

Alice pulled her head back to look at him better. "What? Why not?"

"Well, Ali, um... don't get mad, okay? I made a vow to your dad that I would be a good big brother to you, and I don't think us kissing or going out is what he had in mind. Also, Emmett will beat the crap outta' me if he found out that I was kissing his baby sister, not to mention what Edward would say. Besides, Ali, you're not even thirteen yet. A year ago, you were eleven. Do you get what I mean?"

"Yes, I get what you mean. You can bring that... that... skank, to a family dinner, and let her give you a... a... B... G, that the whole school knows about, but, I can't even tell anyone that we're going together? Aaaarrrrgh!" She tried to push past him, but he hung on to her.

"Ali! Angel, please, don't get mad. Listen, just for now, okay? Just until after your birthday and I get the chance to break up with Savannah." Jasper felt like he had been on a roller coaster of emotion all day.

Suddenly, horror filled his eyes. "Wait a minute! You know about what happened at Kristy's party? Oh my God! Who told you?"

"Jas, the whole school was talking about what a 'legend' you are. She only went out with you 'cuz you're handsome, you know? It's not like she loves you, or anything. Rosalie told me that you shouldn't do that kind of stuff with someone, unless you love them."

"You talked to Rosalie about it? Oh, God! Kill me!" Jasper groaned. "Why didn't you ask me?"

"Oh, yeah! Like I'm gonna' come up to you and say, 'Hey Jas! What's a B.G.? I heard you got one from Savannah at a party.' That's _so_ not gonna' happen."

The more they talked, the madder Alice was getting. Couldn't they go a whole day without being mad at each other?

"What did Rosalie say? Oh, and it's called a B _J_." He couldn't help but grin a little at her innocence.

"Whatever!" Alice snapped. "Rosalie said its when a person... kisses a boy's... you know, _thing,_ and they do it 'cuz it feels good, but you should only do it when you're older and if you love each other."

"Oh. Well, I didn't ask her to, she just kind of... did it." He could see, even in the fading light that Ali's face was beet red. God! She was so frickin' adorable. "I won't let her do it again."

"Why would she want to do that, Jas? That's, you know, _gross_!" she made a face. "She could've just kissed you on your lips. That feels really good."

"It does, doesn't it?" And he leaned forward to kiss her again.


	19. Days of Bliss

**A.N. - I promised myself that I wouldn't leave a ton of Author's Notes, but I wanted to thank every one of my readers/reviewers for taking the time to read and review! I am overwhelmed by your support and praise! I am so happy that you are enjoying this story and, I hope I continue to please you with it. Thank you! ~Charli ;o) xx**

19.

Days of Bliss

The next morning, Alice practically buzzed with anticipation while getting ready for school. She took extra care with her hair and outfit, and even put on some of the lip gloss that Esme had let her buy.

She was smiling from ear to ear when she walked into the kitchen and Edward said, "What's with you?"

She was too happy to insult him, so she just smiled and took the bowl of oatmeal that Esme handed her. "You look really pretty, Ali. I love that sweater on you. You were right, that color is gorgeous."

Alice grinned up at her mom, "Thanks, Mom! It's such a beautiful day and I thought a soft, cheerful yellow would be nice." With her hair and complexion, just about any color looked good on her, but she especially loved yellow.

She skipped over to the table and sat down to eat her oatmeal. She couldn't wait to see Jasper, but it was going to be so hard to act normal in front of Edward.

Keeping their secret was not going to be easy. She hoped her birthday came fast. A few more weeks, and she would officially be a teenager. Then they could proclaim their love to the world. She shivered with happiness and hugged herself. Edward looked at her strangely, but she didn't care. Nothing was going to spoil this day for her.

"Come on, kids." Esme reminded them. "The bus will be here any minute and I have an appointment this morning, so I won't be able to take you."

They put their dishes in the sink and, grabbing their book bags, rushed out the front door, stopping only to give Esme a quick kiss. Just as they reached the road, Jasper came rushing out his front door, as well.

"Hey guys!" he called. Alice's smile lit up her whole face. He looked extra handsome this morning, if that was even possible, and she couldn't wait to be alone with him.

Jasper flashed a grin as he ran up to them. "Mornin', Edward!" he said. "Mornin', Alice, you look really pretty today." She blushed with pleasure, but then he turned to Edward and started talking about their first baseball practice that week.

Alice sighed, her spirits slightly dampened, "Some things never change", she thought, trudging along behind them.

On the bus, Jasper ushered her in front of him to an empty seat, talking all the while to Edward. She sat down by the window and he sat next to her, still yakking about baseball. Edward sat with their friend, James, across the aisle, and he joined in the conversation, too. Alice just sat there, puzzled, until Jasper slyly slid his hand over and took hers. He had never sat with her on the bus before and she smiled to herself at his cleverness. He sat there holding her hand the whole way to school, but kept up the conversation with the other boys at the same time.

He squeezed her hand gently to let her know he was thinking of her, and, squeezing his back, she grinned to herself. "This is kind of exciting!" she thought. "Jasper and I against the world." She rolled her eyes, "Okay, Alice, drama queen much?" She almost giggled, but it _was_ exciting to have a secret pact.

She cast a furtive glance Jasper's way and admired the way his blonde hair was starting to curl against his collar, and the way his broad shoulders were starting to strain against the sleeves of his shirt. She shivered in delight and saw Jasper turn his head the slightest bit toward her. She squeezed his hand again and saw his lips quirk ever so slightly, before she turned back to face toward the window again, smiling to herself.

Alice grabbed her English Lit book from her locker and practically ran towards the classroom. She had been impatiently waiting for English all morning. It was the only class she had with Jasper and she couldn't wait to see him. She entered the classroom and walked back to where he usually sat. There was only one other person in the room, but she didn't recognize her. The girl sat in a desk across the room with her head bent down, reading.

Alice thought about just sitting down and ignoring her, but she felt guilty not at least saying hi. She walked across the room and stopped by the desk. "Hi! I'm Alice. You must be new, huh?"

The girl looked up and gave her a little smile, "Hi! I'm Bella, well Isabella. Isabella Swan. I just moved here from Arizona."

"It's nice to meet you, Bella." Just then, the teacher and several other students entered the room. "Well, I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye." She smiled and gave Bella a little wave and went over to her seat. Jasper walked in and saw her, a big goofy grin on his face.

"Hi Ali." he murmured under his breath, grinning like a goofball. "I couldn't wait for English. I missed you."

She smiled coyly at him and whispered, "Me, too."

There was no way they could be any closer or actually touch each other with people all around them, but just sitting in the same room together was enough, for now.

The teacher was droning on about their final exam when Jasper slid his seat a little closer to hers and whispered, "Will you sit with us at lunch today?" out of the corner of his mouth.

"Yes." she whispered back. She'd just tell Jessica that she and Jasper had some English homework to discuss. She glanced toward the new girl. "I wonder if she has anyone to sit with?" she thought.

Jasper whispered again. "Good, 'cuz I need to be with you."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and couldn't control the grin that spread across her face. "Me, too." Then she noticed Lauren look back at her briefly, while leaning back slightly, as though she was trying to listen.

Alice looked toward Jasper and nodded toward Lauren. Jasper nodded and made a choking motion with his hands. Alice put her hand over her mouth to keep the laugh safe inside, but her eyes twinkled with a thousand stars.

After class, Alice told Jasper she'd meet him at lunch in a few minutes. "Okay, Ali, but not too long." He grinned at her again. She loved the fact that he wanted to be with her even if he couldn't kiss her or talk about their secret.

Alice walked over to Bella, who was gathering her books and stuff. "Bella, would you like to eat lunch with me and a couple of my friends today?"

"Thank you, Alice, but I am sitting with my cousin today. He says he has some really nice friends that he wants me to meet. How about tomorrow?"

"That would be great. Talk to you then!" And she started for the door.

On her way out, Lauren blocked her exit. "You got your hair cut, Alice. Why'd you do that?" Alice groaned. She had hoped Lauren wouldn't notice. She seemed to find the smallest thing to taunt Alice about.

"Um... I just got sick of it being so long." she answered.

"Well, it still looks kind of babyish. Maybe you should let me give you a makeover one day. Of course, no amount of make up or hair cuts are gonna' make you look a day over eight. Oh well, let me know." She smiled sweetly, moving aside, and Alice went running out after Jasper.

Jasper and Edward were in the lunch line, so Alice was sitting by herself when Jessica came up to her. "Alice, you're not sitting with us today?"

Alice looked up from unwrapping her sandwich, "Hi Jess! Yeah, sorry. I have to talk to Jasper about our English paper."

"No problem! I'll talk to you in Gym. See ya'!' she waved and walked away.

"See ya'!" Alice called.

"I thought you hated her, Ali." commented Edward as he set his tray down on the table.

"Not since we were like, seven. It's her sister, Lauren, I hate." Her gaze moved to Jasper's face as he walked over and sat down next to her. "Hi, Jas!" she grinned.

"Hi, Ali!" he grinned back.

They both looked over at Edward who was chewing with a puzzled look on his face. "I never have been able to figure out why she is so mean to you." He focused on her face. "Have you?"

Alice shook her head. "Not really. I'll be glad when she's gone next year." Then it dawned on her that Edward and Jasper wouldn't be here, either. She let out a little gasp of realization and turned to look at Jasper, "I'll miss you guys, though."

"Ali, I live right next door." he laughed at her. "You'll still see us every day." He pressed his leg against hers, under the table.

Alice looked up at his handsome face. "It should be a sin for a guy to be that pretty." she thought. She rubbed her leg against his and his eyes darkened. She giggled.

"Ali," Edward remarked, somewhat condescendingly. "You are so silly. Most of the time you are screeching at us for whatever reason. I don't think you'll miss us at all."

"Whatever, Edward." Alice retorted.

Just then, Brent walked up to the table with someone. "Guys, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Bella. She just moved here from Arizona."

"Bella!" Alice said in surprise.

"You already know each other?" Brent asked, looking between the two of them.

"We briefly met in English Lit earlier." answered Alice.

"Alice was kind enough to introduce herself and ask me to join her for lunch, if I had no one to sit with." The two girls smiled at each other.

"It's nice to meet you, Bella." Jasper had a very welcoming smile on his face. "I'm Jasper. That guy's Edward. He's Ali's brother. I'm her next door neighbor."

"They're also my band mates." Brent said, pulling out a chair for Bella, and then sitting down himself. "And Ali is my best bud. Ain't ya', Teensy?"

Alice nodded. "No one but Brent and my big brother, Emmett, think it's okay to call me 'small people' names, just so you know."

"No problem!" Bella laughed, "Ali, will do just fine."

Ali smiled and asked Bella why she had moved to Wisconsin, especially so close to the end of school.

"My father was transferred. He tried to get them to wait until school was out, but they couldn't, and my mom is just crazy when they're away from each other for too long. I told them it wasn't that big of a deal. It'd give me a chance to make friends before summer."

"What grade are you in, Bella?" Jasper inquired, looking very interested.

"I'm in seventh. What about you guys? she looked around the table.

"Edward and I are graduating in a couple weeks, and Ali is in sixth." Jasper told her. "Have you lived anywhere but Arizona?"

"Nope. Born and raised. I've traveled around the states some, but my dad travels a lot for work and we couldn't go with him much once I started school."

"Have you ever been to Wisconsin before?" asked Edward.

"No, I've never been anywhere north of St. Louis." replied Bella.

"Ever seen snow?" Edward continued.

"Once, when we went into the mountains, but that's it." answered Bella.

Jasper chuckled, "Well, you won't have that problem come about November!"

Everyone laughed, then Bella said, "I'm already freezing! Let me get through the summer first!"

Alice looked on as the boys interrogated Bella. She really liked Bella, but Jasper seemed a little more interested in her than she comfortable with. He and Edward were both hanging on her every word. Her eyes took in Bella's big, chocolate brown eyes, perfect pale skin and long, shiny chestnut hair. Suddenly, the day didn't seem so bright.

Jasper didn't repeat his seating maneuver on the bus ride home, so Alice sat with a girl who was listening to her iPod and looking out the window. She laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She suddenly felt so tired. She hadn't slept too well last night thinking about Jasper.

Jasper was kissing her in the alcove by the garage. Suddenly, he pulled away and Alice saw Bella standing there. Jasper smiled at Bella and she smiled back. He looked back at Alice and reached out his arms for her. She smiled as he drew her out of the alcove but, instead of embracing her, as she thought he was going to, he tossed her aside and pulled Bella into the alcove and started kissing her. Alice banged her fists against his back, but he wouldn't pay attention. Finally, he turned toward her and snarled, "Get a clue, Alice. I don't want you any more."

"Ali." she heard whispered in her ear. "We're home, darlin'." She looked up to see Jasper smiling down at her. She stared at him for a second before she realized where she was. It was just a dream, but it left her feeling shaken and confused. She smiled back at Jasper and got up groggily. She went down the aisle in front of him, his hand on the small of her back.

She had never fallen asleep on the bus before. "That was weird" she thought. She had so many thoughts going through her head, she had never felt very confident, and Bella was so beautiful. Suddenly, her birthday seemed a long way away.

Alice was laying on her bed listening to music when she heard her phone buzz. Picking it up, she saw that it was a text from Jasper.

_Hey darlin'! _

_Wanna' meet me at 'our' place? ;-)_

_J xx_

Alice smiled. She liked the sound of that. She wanted to talk to him about a few things, anyway. She got off the bed and went downstairs. Her mom and dad were in the living room. "Mom, I have to go over and get something from Jas real quick. I'll be back in a little while."

"Okay, Ali. Make sure you wear a jacket. Its pretty chilly out there."

"Okay, Mom." she called back, rolling her eyes. Geeze, would they ever realize that she wasn't a baby any more?

She put on her sweater, slipped on some shoes and went out the back door. Running across the yard, she saw Jasper come out his back door. She could see him grin in the fading light and he grabbed her hand as she reached him, pulling her to the alcove. Before Alice could even catch her breath, Jasper had his lips on hers and his hands in her hair.

"Jasper! Jas!" Alice pulled away from him.

"What?" he frowned down at her. "What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to talk to you for a second."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Girls!" he muttered.

Alice smacked his chest, "At least we don't jump on you the minute no one's looking."

"Oh yeah! Like we wouldn't like it if you did?" he laughed.

"Jasper! I'm serious. I was just wondering what you thought of Bella." she watched him closely.

"Oh! She's great! Really pretty, too!" He started to lower his head again.

"Jasper!" she put her hands against his chest, lowering her eyes. "Um, do you think she's, well… you know, prettier than me?" She looked somewhere around his shoulder.

He chuckled to himself. Two days and she was already questioning his commitment? "No one is prettier than you, darlin'." She smiled and met his eyes as he covered her lips with his again.

The next few days went by in a swirl of bliss. Alice smiled so much that Edward actually complained that she must be sick. Every morning, Jasper would sit with her and hold her hand on the bus. Later, they would hurry to English Lit and lunch to share a blissful hour and a half together. After school, she and Jasper would think of excuses to spend time together, such as English homework, or she would sit and listen to them practice their music, and after supper, he would ask her to meet him and they would make out in the alcove behind the garage.

She melted from Jasper's kisses, she had never felt anything so exciting and wonderful. She just knew he felt the same. He would start breathing heavy and have to pull back after a while and catch his breath. She loved that she did that to him. She had never felt so beautiful or happy.


	20. Finally! Respect

**A.N.: This is shaping up to be a very long, involved story. I am letting you know that I am dedicated to seeing it through, so, if you are enjoying my version of Ali & Jas, please know that, if you hang in there, I will give them their happily ever after ~ eventually! ;-p**

**I have to say thanks, also, to all of the awesome readers who are supporting me with their generous reviews! You are all so good for this writer's inhibitions! Every time I feel doubt, I think about all of you encouraging me! Thank you so much! xoxo**

**OK - 'nuff said - on with the show… er, story! ;o)**

20.

Finally! Respect

Before the last notes of music had even cleared the air, Jasper scowled, "It just doesn't sound right! Damn!"

"I know its your band, Jas, but I have an idea." offered Brent.

"Dude! It's _our _band, I just came up with the idea to start it." corrected Jasper, looking at him. "What's your idea?"

"Well, I know a bass player who'd probably be interested and it might give us the sound you're looking for."

"Brent! Very cool, Man!" Edward exclaimed. "Jas and I tried to find one originally, but we couldn't."

"Let me make a phone call." said Brent with a grin, whipping out his phone.

"Hey!" Brent said into the phone. "You wanna' bring your axe over?" He looked at Jas while he paused to listen. "No, they don't, but it'll be okay. Okay, see you in a bit. Bye!"

"Okay," he said, smiling at the other two boys. "It'll be about fifteen minutes."

"How much experience does he have?" asked Jasper.

"Yeah," added Edward, "has he played in a band before?"

"I promise, you guys will be happy." Brent said with a smug grin. Then, "By the way, is Ali coming over today?"

"Probably," groaned Edward. "She'll have to put her two cents in."

"Ed, she isn't that bad! Geeze!" Jasper rolled his eyes. "She usually just listens and then cheers and claps." He personally couldn't wait until she got there, he hadn't seen her since last night at their 'place', and it was already 11:00 AM, on Saturday.

Just thinking about last night, sent blood rushing to places he shouldn't even acknowledge right now and almost made him groan out loud. Ali had the sweetest lips and her innocent gasps and moans got his junk all twisted up in knots. He went to bed poking into the mattress, and that's exactly how he woke up. He had even had a couple of 'self-experiences' in the shower since they started seeing each other. He just couldn't get enough of her. He wished she'd hurry and grow up. He grinned to himself, he was impatient, but the journey was going to be amazing!

They ran through another song by the time they heard Rose let someone into the house. The indoor garage door opened and Bella walked in.

"Oh! Hey Bella!" Jasper called. "Ali's not here, yet, but, have a seat, she should be here soon."

"Uh, Jas?" Edward started, noticing the guitar case in Bella's hand.

"Jas, Bella is the bass player I was telling you about." Brent said cautiously.

Jasper noticed the guitar case in her hand then. "Oh." he didn't know what else to say. Then, his face spread in a huge grin. "Cool! Come on in, Bella! Let's hear what ya' got."

"You don't have a problem with her being a girl?" Brent asked.

"No. If she can play, what do I care? Besides," Jas added with twinkling eyes, "guys come to listen to bands, too! They don't wanna' just look at our ugly mugs."

"Well, all right!" laughed Brent. 'I knew you were cool, Dude, but I have to admit, I expected a bit of a problem."

"Why? I'm okay with girls, ain't I?" puzzled Jasper, looking at both boys.

"Mostly, but you guys treat Ali kinda' shitty. Don't get me wrong!" he rushed on. "I know you're just trying to protect her, being her big bros, and all, but she ain't helpless or stupid, ya' know? She may be small, but she's the same age as me."

"Did she tell you to say that?" Edward accused, scowling.

"No! And don't tell her I said anything! God! She'll scalp me! I'm smart enough to try and stay on her good side." He swallowed dramatically, then smiled. "It's just an observation as her, and your, friend."

Jasper just looked at him with wide eyes and his mouth slightly agape.

"Jas, Dude, don't be pissed, okay? I shouldn't have said anything. Sorry."

"No. It's cool." reassured Jasper. "I just never realized. It's just, ya' know, she was so tiny and helpless when she came to us, and her dad asked us all to take care of her, and well, she's so, ya' know, small and dainty."

Edward snorted. "Dainty?" Jasper just gave him a look.

"You don't treat Rose like that." pointed out Brent.

"God, no!" Edward exclaimed. "She'd kick our asses! You should've seen how hard it was just to get to use the garage for practice."

"Let's just say that she can handle herself." Jasper confirmed with a chuckle.

"Well, maybe Ali can, too. Just sayin'." Brent said, putting up his hand when Jasper started to protest. "Something to think about, any way. Well, shall we see what Bells can do?"

Jasper's eyes flew to Bella and he blushed. "Uh, sorry, Bella. Where should we start?"

"Well, Brent has filled me in on a few things. Obviously, I don't know any of your original songs, but I know a few of the songs you're playing for Fourth of July."

"Great! Lead the way." Jasper said, picking up his guitar again.

* * *

Alice skipped across the Hale's driveway. She loved watching Jasper play his guitar. Of course, she loved watching him do just about anything, but there was just something about the way he handled the instrument, like it was a part of him. She also loved seeing the emotion on his face when he was singing. Now she understood why even grown women went crazy for rock stars. She'd always been fascinated with Jasper, but now she was just consumed by thoughts of him. She hugged herself and giggled as she approached his front door. She knocked and Rose hollered, "Come on in, Ali!"

Alice opened the door, "How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"Rose laughed. "I heard you giggle. Besides, you're the only one not here."

Emmett walked in just then with a bowl of popcorn. "Hey, Rose. Your mom wants to know if I'm eating dinner here."

"Geeze, Em, I don't know. You eat here just about every other night, don't ya'?" Rose glowered.

Emmett just grinned, setting the popcorn down. "Yeah, but Jas is usually at our house and, besides, you'd miss me if I didn't."

Rose rolled her eyes and groaned. She looked at Ali and winked. Ali giggled. "Everyone's in the garage, Ali. Go on out, if you want."

"Thanks, Rose!" she laughed, stopping to give Emmett a big hug. "I haven't seen you in days, Em. I think Mom and Dad are convinced you aren't ever coming home."

"I sleep there every night, Ali. Mom knows I'm just busy with school and baseball." Emmett looked serious.

"I'm just kidding, Em!" Alice assured him, poking him in the stomach.

"I know, Ali Oop!" He gave her a goofy grin as he picked her up and swung her over his head. She screamed and giggled. "Rose help me!"

"You're on your own, Kiddo! I'm done with the Incredible Hulk for today." But she motioned for him to put her down.

He laughed and set her on her feet. "Hey, Twinkle-Toes! You should come to my game next weekend."

"Yeah, Ali. Why don't you come with me? I'm pulling my baby out next Saturday. I promised you'd be the first to ride in her any way." Rose enticed.

"I'd love to!" Alice clapped with excitement.

"All right! If it's warm, you can help me wash her first, too." Rose smiled, she loved spending time with Alice. She was always so enthusiastic and happy.

"It's a date! For sure!" Alice said, eagerly.

"Okay! Well, have fun watching the boys. See ya' later!"

"Okay! See ya' later!" Alice waved as she made her way to the garage, saying hi to Ms. Lynnette on her way through the kitchen.

Alice had a big smile on her face when she walked into the garage. Could life be any better? She was in love, she had great friends and she got to spend time with Rose and ride in her car next Saturday.

Alice stopped dead and the smile fell from her face when she looked up and saw Bella playing with the boys. "What the hell?" She thought.

She stood there frozen in place as they finished the song. Jasper let out a whoop and grabbed Bella in a big hug. "Yeah! That was awesome!" he put her down and him and Brent knocked knuckles.

Edward had a big grin on his face. "Bella! You rock, girl! That was tight!"

Bella grinned and knocked knuckles with him, "Thanks, you guys! You guys are great! You sure you've only been playin' six weeks?"

They all grinned at each other. This was going way better than any of them imagined.

"You know, Jas, there's a 'Battle of the Bands' at the state fair at the end of August. Maybe we should try out." suggested Brent.

"Jas! Remember? They had it there last year when we were there. That would be so cool!" Edward was really excited now.

"We'd have to come up with a name by then." Jasper frowned. "I've wracked my brain and nothing sounds just right. Any ideas?" He looked at the others and spotted Alice off to the side.

"Ali! Where you been? Did you hear us? Wasn't it great?"

Jasper put down his guitar and ran over to her. He grabbed her up and gave her a big kiss right on the mouth.

There were four surprised faces and total silence as Jasper set her down. He looked around for a minute wondering why everything had gotten so quiet. Then, he locked eyes with Alice, whose face was still frozen in surprise, as well. "Come on, Lil' Sis!" Jasper covered. "Sit over here and listen! See what you think!"

Alice smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Sure. Okay." She let him lead her over to the others and took the seat Jasper offered.

Everyone started chatting at once, and Alice just smiled as they started the next song.

Alice had to admit that they were really good. They all loved music and it came through in their playing, plus, they all had pretty good voices so, no matter who was singing, it sounded great. Now, with Bella, they had a female voice added to the mix and it gave them a more complete kind of sound.

They finished and they all grinned and congratulated themselves again. "Hey, Bella! Do you know 'Cum on Feel the Noize' by Quiet Riot?"

"Of course! Doesn't every guitar player know that one?" she laughed.

"For some reason, it's Jas' fave." Edward jeered, teasing him.

Jasper laughed. "I don't know why! I know it's old, but I just love playing it!"

"Well, it's a classic! Let's have at it, then!" Brent called as he started the drum intro.

Alice sat there enjoying the music and wondered if she should tell them what she had come up with for their name. Edward would probably think she was trying to take over and be bossy, but she thought that Jasper and Brent might like it. She chewed her lip through the rest of the song. When it ended, they were all ecstatic at how it sounded.

"We have to tape ourselves so we can hear how it sounds from an audience point of view." suggested Edward.

"Yeah! That'll help us perfect it." agreed Brent.

Jasper turned to Bella, "Bella, do you have any ideas or suggestions now that you're part of the band?" He gave her a big grin and she grinned back.

"Actually, I may have a couple song suggestions, if that's okay." Bella answered tentatively.

"Bella, you're a fourth of the band, now. You can make any suggestions you want." The boys all smiled at Bella. She smiled back. "Well, all right! Thanks, guys!"

Alice looked on with dread. She liked Bella and was impressed with her playing, but she didn't like how easy-going Jasper was with her. She had never seen him like that with another girl outside the family before. She had really been shocked when he had hugged Bella in front of Edward and Brent. She knew he was excited, but she still didn't like it.

When he had kissed her in front of everybody, she had been surprised, but happy. Then he had ruined it by calling her, 'Lil' Sis'. She could never remember any of the boys calling her 'Sis' before. She knew Jasper called Rose that, once in a while, but she didn't know if it had just been to cover up kissing her, or for Bella's benefit.

"God! Why am I so insecure?" Alice thought, squeezing her eyes shut. "I hate that!" It didn't help that she had heard remarks about her looks and size since she was very young. Sure, her family said she was beautiful, but she knew they loved her, so they would say that to make her happy. Jasper said she was beautiful, too, but he loved her, didn't he? Maybe he just said that so she would let him make out with her. It was awfully convenient having her right next door.

"I have to stop this!" she screamed to herself. "I'm going to drive myself crazy!" She forced herself to just stop thinking and opened her eyes.

Bella was standing in front of her and all four of them were looking at her strangely. "Ali? You okay?"

She blushed. Had she said something out loud? "Oh God! I hope not!" She smiled at Bella, "I'm fine. Why?"

"You had you're eyes shut really tight and looked like you were in pain." Bella said.

"Well, I do have a little headache, but I was trying to figure something out." She thought she might as well go for it, and Edward be damned. "I think I might have a name for your band. If you don't like it, no pressure! It just came to me a couple days ago and I was wondering if I should bring it up, or not."

"Let's hear it, Ali!" exclaimed Brent. "We've been racking our brains trying to come up with a name."

"Well," Alice started to stammer and blushed, her eyes going from one to another. She wished she had just kept her mouth shut. "Um… well… since Jas loves to play that song, uh… you could, you know, use it as kind of a… you know, like, signature song, and… the band could be called, um… well… Noize? You know, with a 'Z' instead of an 'S', if you like it, that is… uh…" She looked down at her hands. "Never mind, it's probably lame. I just wasn't thinking. You can probably come up with something a lot better, I don't know, I just wanted to help. Never mind," she slid down from her seat. "I'm gonna' go home. I shouldn't be here anyway since I'm not in the band, and…"

"Ali! Shut up!" shouted Edward. Alice looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Sorry, Edward." she whispered, as the tears spilled over. He got up and came over by her. "Ali! It's awesome! Thank you!" and he hugged her.

Then he turned to the others. "What do you guys think?"

Jasper and Brent were both grinning. "I like it!" said Brent. "Leave it to Ali to save us!"

"Good one, Ali!" Jasper turned to Bella. "What do you think, Bella?"

"I think it's perfect! Catchy and edgy at the same time. Thanks, Ali!"

Ali looked at all of them with an incredulous expression on her face and tears running down her cheeks.

"Ali! You're so silly!" Edward said as he hugged her again. "Why are you crying?"

She wiped her face on the sleeve of her sweater. "I just didn't think you would like it, I guess." she said softly.

"It's probably because we never listen to her and don't include her in anything." said Jasper, dryly.

Edward just looked at him for a second. "You're right." he finally said. He looked back at Alice. "I'm sorry, Ali." he looked ashamed. "I never meant to hurt you, sweetie. I swear." He wiped more tears off her face and gave her a small smile. "Would you like to be our promoter? You're artistic and really smart. You could come up with a logo and hand-outs. Maybe even make some posters for us to put up. What do you say?"

Alice looked at Edward like he had grown two heads. She cleared her throat and looked at the others. "If it's okay with all of you, I would like that."

Bella said, "I think it's a great idea! You can tape our practices, too, and give us pointers on what we can do to improve."

"Yeah, Ali! You can be like, our, you know, manager/promoter!" exclaimed Brent.

"But she won't be on the stage when we perform, right?" asked Jasper, looking at everyone but Alice.

"Well, no. She'd be in the audience watching to see if there are any improvements we can make." said Bella.

"Yeah, and she could set up ways to get our name out in the public so we can get gigs." added Brent.

Jasper looked at Alice. Her eyes were sparkling, but she didn't smile. He could still see the tracks from her tears on her face. He smiled, "Looks like you got a job, Ali, if you want it, that is."

"I do. I will do a good job, Jas." she gave him a hopeful smile, her luminous eyes huge in her small face.

"I know you will, darlin'. Just, please don't go 'promoting' by yourself. Take one of us with you, or your mom or Emmett, okay?" He put his hand up before she could say anything. "Not because I don't think you can do it, but just for safety, 'cuz we would all be devastated if something happened to you. Promise me?"

"Okay, I promise." Inside, Alice was in a whirlwind. She had tons of ideas already and couldn't wait to get started. She was trying her best to act calm because she knew Jasper and Edward would have second thoughts if they thought she would do something reckless. "Over-protective fools" she thought to herself.


	21. Time To Grow Up

21.

Time To Grow Up

That night, being that it was Saturday, Edward asked his parents if his friends could stay over and watch movies. Esme made BarBQ chicken on the grill and potato salad and invited the Hales, too. They all ate out on the patio, laughing and enjoying the mild spring weather. Lynnette and Esme started a conversation with Bella and decided that they really liked her. They were so glad that Alice finally had a girlfriend to hang out with. They loved Brent, but they knew she needed more girls in her life. Rose spent time with Alice, but she was so busy all the time with school, cheerleading, sports, and her car, that Alice usually only had the boys to hang out with.

"So, Ali, My Love," said Jackson, grinning his devilish grin. "You givin' up on my boy, Jas, over there, and takin' up with handsome Brent, here?" He laughed at Jasper's groan. He loved aggravating his son about Ali, which also aggravated Carlisle. "Seems my boy just can't step up to the plate and Brent looks like he's more than able to take over.

Alice giggled. "Mr. Jackson, I am gonna' make 'em fight over me, first, before I decide."

Carlisle let out a bark of laughter and Jackson joined in. "Told ya', Carlisle! Our girl's got spunk! Don't let her size fool ya' none!"

Bella sent a puzzled look Ali's way. "My and Jasper's dads have known each other since they were really young, and Jasper's dad loves to tease my dad about me and, you know, boys. He likes to get my dad all bent, but he's just playing. It's like we're all one big family. Even Brent is used to it by now."

"Oh. So you and Jasper aren't dating?" Bella asked.

Ali saw Jasper's head snap up at her question. "Why would you ask me that, Bella?" she questioned her.

"Well, there just seems to be some kind of connection between you two, I guess." Bella said.

"Oh. Yeah, apparently Jasper appointed himself my personal guardian from day one and we just took to each other. I used to boss him around pretty bad, from what I hear." She laughed. "Now he bosses me around. He's worse than my real brothers." Ali looked over at Jasper and saw him frowning down at his plate. He glanced up at her and she winked. She looked back at Bella and smiled, but she wondered why Bella had asked. "Is she trying to see if he's available?" she thought.

"Well, kids, go ahead and start your movie, if you want, before it gets too late. We'll clean up the mess." said Esme, as her and Lynnette started cleaning up.

"Thanks, Mom! We'll at least clean up our plates." Emmett offered as he grabbed his and Rose's and took them into the house. The other kids took their plates in, thanking the adults, and settled in the family room for the movie.

"What should we watch? A scary movie or a funny one?" asked Edward as he looked over the movies they had rented.

"A scary one!" piped up Emmett. "Then we can turn off the lights and snuggle with the scared girls." He wriggled his eyebrows and stroked a pretend mustache.

"You're such a pig, Em!" snorted Rosalie, rolling her eyes.

The others laughed and Edward popped in the movie. Alice took one of the folded blankets off the end of the couch and climbed into one of the over-sized armchairs. She hated the scary movies. They always gave her nightmares. She pulled her legs up to her chest and spread the blanket over them, ready to put it up over her eyes if she got too scared. She really just wanted to go to her room and read, but she didn't want to abandon Bella.

Jasper smiled and walked over by her. "Want some company?" he asked.

"Yes, please." she answered softly.

She scooted her feet over and he sat down and pulled her over next to him, keeping his arm around her shoulders. The top of her head came to just below his collarbone, and he bent and placed a kiss there as she snuggled into his warm chest. No one noticed, since this was how they usually sat while watching movies, no one except Bella, that is. She sat on the couch with Brent and Edward, and Rosalie sat sideways in the other armchair, with Emmett on the floor at her feet, his back against the chair.

Emmett had turned off the lights and the only illumination came from the fading twilight outside and the TV screen. The movie started and the room was filled with dark images and spooky music. The adults were in the kitchen and Jackson stuck his head through the doorway. "No smoochin' in here, now!" and all the kids jumped.

"Dad!" Rose yelled, and Emmett cracked up. Jackson cackled evilly and went back into the kitchen. Ali giggled and Jasper smiled down at her and held her hand under the blanket.

The movie wasn't gory, but it was filled with ghosts and eerie special effects. Ali jumped several times and covered her eyes with the blanket. Jasper squeezed her hand and hugged her against him, chuckling. She was just so damn cute, and he enjoyed every minute of having her in his arms.

The movie ended and Emmett got up off the floor and stretched. "Watch your eyes, everybody!" he said as he reached for the light switch.

"Hey, Em." whispered Jasper, looking down at his cuddly kitten. "Ali's asleep. Can you wait a minute?"

"Yeah, Jas. Want me to take her, or you got her?"

"I got her." He stood up and gathered her and the blanket in his arms. He got to the door leading to the hall and turned. "Good night, Brent. Bella. See you guys later."

"Night, Jas. Call us if you wanna' practice tomorrow." Brent called softly.

"K, I probably will." said Jasper as he started up the stairs.

Jasper laid Alice on her bed and gazed down at her sleeping face. He couldn't believe how much she meant to him. It was kind of scary, he was only fifteen years old and he already knew exactly where his life was going.

He tucked the blanket around her and wondered if she'd be warm enough or too uncomfortable in her jeans. He had done this a hundred times before, but now he felt weird putting Ali to bed. She tended to fall asleep during movies and, since she was usually laying on him, he was the one who took her up to bed. He laughed to himself. Things sure had changed in the last month.

Sighing resolutely, he lifted Alice off the bed again and pulled the comforter back. He laid her back down and took the blanket from downstairs off of her. He lifted up her shirt a little to unbutton her jeans. He slid the zipper down and pulled them gently off of her legs. He laid her jeans on her desk chair and turned back to her. She lay before him like a beautiful angel, all pale legs and long, dark hair. He felt a twitching in his pants and rolled his eyes. "Geeze, Hale, get a grip." he thought as he pulled the covers over Alice and tucked her in. He gazed at her for a minute, then leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "Mine." he whispered against them, and left her room.

* * *

Alice moaned and rolled her head on the pillow. "No!" she cried, thrashing around on her bed. The blankets became tangled around her and she fought desperately against her antagonizer. "No! Please!"

"Ali! Angel, wake up! It's okay, darlin'." Jasper gathered her against his chest and rubbed her back. He heard a noise at the door and looked up.

"She havin' a nightmare again?" Edward asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah. I heard her yellin'. Go back to bed, I got her."

"Thanks, Man. See ya' in the mornin'." Edward shuffled back down the hallway. Jasper was always better with her than he was, anyway.

Ali quieted down, but Jasper knew it wasn't over yet. He whispered "You're all right, Ali. I've got you. No one is gonna' hurt you, darlin'." She sighed and relaxed against his chest. He sat holding her for a few minutes and laid her back on the bed. Her hair was all tangled around her neck and she had tears streaking her face.

Jasper went to the bathroom to get a warm, damp cloth. He walked back into Alice's room just as she started moaning again. He hated when she had nightmares because it was so hard to wake her and she would be exhausted in the morning. He should've warned Edward not to play the ghost story. They all knew better, but she would never complain, so they tended to forget.

"Ali, Jasper's here, Honey. Wake up for me, okay? Ali?" He washed her face with the warm cloth and she stirred. "Ali?"

"Hmmm? Jas? Is that you?" she looked up at him with her big, pansy eyes and pushed her hair out of her face. Suddenly, she gasped, "What are you doing here? Some one will see you!"

"Shhhhh! Ali, I'm spending the night. You were having a bad dream." he smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "You know where you are, now?"

"Oh. Sorry, Jasper." she whispered. "I shouldn't have watched the movie with you guys. You always get stuck with me."

"Don't be silly." he chuckled. "I got to hold you for two hours during the movie and then tuck you into bed."

"Jasper!" she gasped. "Did you take my jeans off?"

He could just make out her wide eyes in the dim light. He laughed, "Ali, it's not like I saw anything. Besides, I've done it a million times before."

"I know, but that was before, you know?" She suddenly ducked her head.

"Ha! Are you getting shy on me, now?" he chuckled. "Ali, you are so damn adorable." He leaned in to lightly kiss her and she threw her arms around his neck, taking him by surprise.

"Jasper! Please don't leave me for Bella!" she cried. "I don't think I could take seeing you together. I love you too much!" She hung onto his neck for dear life.

"What makes you think I would leave you for Bella?" Jasper was frowning as he untangled her arms and pulled her back to look at her face. "Is that what you were having a nightmare about?"

She nodded her head looking miserable. "I've been having them for a few nights now." She looked down at her hands. "Then, today you let her join the band and you wouldn't let me, and you hugged her and you can talk to her so easily, and she's so tall and beautiful and talented, and I'm... nothing. Short, skinny, plain... nothing." She looked up at him, helplessly.

He looked mad. He was scowling and his mouth was clenched in a hard line. "Alice! Do not ever tell me that you are nothing, ever again, do you hear me?" He shook her by her upper arms and growled into her face, "I don't even know Bella that well. Why would you even start this? What have I ever done to make you think that?" He dropped her arms and stood up. He ran his hand through his hair and looked around the room. He finally looked back down at her. She had brought her knees up to her chest and had wrapped her arms around them as if to hold herself together.

"Ali, I don't know what to say, but I think we are too young for this intense of a relationship. If you are having nightmares, then you are not happy. I think it's too much pressure."

Alice opened her mouth, then closed it and opened it again. She looked like a baby bird trying to get fed by it's mother. "God, she was so precious." He sat down and pulled he onto his lap, hugging her to him. "Damn it! Why did I even start this? I knew we were too young, but I just couldn't stop myself."

He looked down into her face again. Her eyes were swimming with tears, but he could tell she was trying to keep them from falling. "I am not interested in Bella, okay? I think she's cool and plays a mean guitar, but I have never once thought about her that way. All I think about is you. When I'm not with you, I can't wait to see you. When I am with you, all I think about is how wonderful you are. No one is ever going to change that. Understand?"

She nodded and tried to talk past the lump in her throat. "I love you, Jasper."

"I know you do, darlin'. I love you, too." He gazed into her eyes as he lowered his head to kiss her. He could taste her tears and that sweetness that was just Ali, and he wanted to stay there forever.

"Could you, please, try and get some sleep now?" he asked, surrendering her lips.

"Yes." she whispered. "I'm sorry."

He laid her back down on the bed and covered her up. Then he laid down next to her and snuggled her into his arms with the blankets between them. He pulled the blanket from the family room over himself and said softly, "Don't ever be sorry for how you feel, Ali. I may get mad, but you can always talk to me. I promise." He kissed the top of her head where it lay against his chest. "Now, go to sleep."

She sighed and snuggled closer. Closing her eyes, she inhaled his scent and slept the best she had in days.

* * *

Jasper opened his eyes and saw Carlisle standing next to the bed in the dim, early morning light. He blinked and cleared his mind of the fog of sleep. His eyes opened wide when he realized where he was and he met Carlisle's in dread.

"Mr. Carlisle! Nothing happened, I swear! Ali had a nightmare and I was just comforting her and I fell asleep." Jasper sat up, looking desperate.

"Jasper! You're all right! Calm down." He lay a soothing hand on his shoulder. "You are family. I know you would never hurt Ali or disrespect us. I just wanted to get you to your own bed so you could get some rest."

Jasper sighed in relief. He loved Carlisle like another father and, the last thing he wanted was for him to be angry or disappointed in him. He shivered as he made his way back to his bed in Edward's room. Even though he had on sleep pants and a T-shirt, the air felt icy after snuggling with Ali. Her warmth and scent permeated his whole being. He knew he was in for major trouble there, but he felt content as he let thoughts of Alice lead him back into sleep.

* * *

"Damn it!" Bella growled, stomping her foot.

"Bella, it's fine! You'll get it. You just learned the song two minutes ago. Geeze! Give yourself a break." Edward shook his head at her intensity. He thought he was a perfectionist? Huh! He had nothing on Miss Isabella Swan. The girl was her worst critic, especially when it came to her music.

Edward was teaching Bella one of the songs he and Jasper had written and, together, they were creating the bass part. "Just try and feel it. Maybe just listen to it in your head and see what your mind comes up with." he suggested.

Jasper walked out into the garage. "How's it going? You feeling it, yet, Bells?"

Bella shook her head, her long, layered hair flying around her. "I am so _not_ feeling it, Jas! Ugh! Why don't you and Edward play it and let me just listen. Edward thinks I may be able to hear it in my head."

"Good call, Ed! Let me grab AnnaBelle." He got his guitar out of its case and warmed her up a little. He looked at Edward and nodded.

"One, two. One-two-three-four..." They played the music they had written like they were born to it.

"And maybe they were." Bella thought. They were naturals and she couldn't be more impressed. She watched Jasper as he began to sing. He was so handsome, like, the most beautiful boy she had ever seen. The best part was that he seemed totally oblivious to his looks. She looked over at Edward and her heart sped up a little. He was so passionate about the music. His fingers played over the keyboard like they were one. "I'd love for him to play me like that," she thought. Her eyes widened slightly at her thoughts. "Where had that thought come from?" She felt her face redden and glanced at the boys. They were deep in the melody and hadn't noticed. "Whew! I've gotta' watch that. Can't get jacked-up over a bandmate." She'd been that route before and mentally slapped herself.

* * *

"Mom!" Alice called excitedly, as she danced into Esme's bedroom. "My bathing suit is too small! I _have_ grown this year!"

"Alice!" Esme gasped, dramatically, her eyes twinkling. "That suit is positively indecent! I can see almost all of your womanly curves bursting out of that top!" She laughed. She could've told Alice a couple months ago that she was going to finally need a new suit this year. "Why do you think I bought you those new bras last month? Just because they were pretty?" Esme asked, chuckling. "You can finally buy a new suit because you need one, not just because you _want_ one!"

"When can we go shopping?" Alice danced around, making Esme dizzy.

"Alice! Please, stop spinning!" Esme put a hand on Ali's arm. "We can go one day next week after school. We're both busy today and I've got stuff to catch up on tomorrow."

"Okay, but what am I gonna' do about today? I can't help Rosalie like this!"

Esme could see a drama coming on. "Alice, please just wear a T-shirt over it for today. It'll be fine for now."

"Oh! Good idea! Okay!" she started to rush from the room, then turned back. "Thanks, Mom!" She gave Esme a quick hug and kiss, and tore back to her room. She grabbed one of Edward's old T-shirts out of her drawer and slipped it over her head. The shirt was way too small for Edward, but was still pretty big on her. It covered her chest from her collarbone, and went about 10 inches past her butt. She slipped her flip-flops on and tore back out the door.

Running toward the Hales' house, she giggled with excitement. Her and Rose were going to wash her 'baby' and then get all dolled-up and go to Emmett's baseball game. She couldn't wait!

Coming around the front of the house, she spotted Rose already backing out of the garage. Rose looked over and grinned at her and gave her a thumb's up. Ali danced from foot to foot as the gorgeous car rolled out of the garage for the first time since getting her new paint job. She sparkled in the sun and looked just like one of those red candy apples.

Rose parked and got out and Alice came across the driveway. She saw someone move out of the corner of her eye and saw Jasper and Brent in the garage. "Hey, guys!" Ali raised her hand in greeting. The boys grinned and waved.

Jasper jogged over to her. "Hey, Beautiful! Going to the game today, huh?" He looked down at her T-shirt and bare legs and asked, "What do you have on?" his forehead wrinkling in displeasure.

"My too-small-bathing suit and Edward's old T-shirt," she giggled. "And, before you ask, no, I am not wearing this to the game. I am only wearing it to help Rose wash her car. Then, we are gonna' get fixed up and go look at all of the tight baseball pants." She giggled again at his expression.

"You gonna' come to my first game in a couple weeks?" he asked.

"If you want me to, but I'm warning you, I'm not getting fixed up for your game." Her eyes twinkled with the imp that was Ali.

"Oh yeah?" he played along. "And why not?"

"No cute guys on your team." she deadpanned.

"Ha! If Rose and Brent weren't here, I'd show you how cute I can be. Wanna' go around back and have a refresher course?" He grinned wickedly.

"No! I have to save my lips in case I meet a good-looking ball player today." She fluttered her lashes at him and gave him a tiny, smug smile.

He growled, "Over my dead body." His eyes sparkling under his scowl.

She giggled and put her hand on his arm, "You know my lips are only for you."

He grinned. "They better be."

"Go back and play with your guitar." she laughed. "I've got work to do."

He smiled as Rose walked up. She gave him a warning look and handed Alice a bucket of sudsy water. "There's a sponge in there, Ali. Wanna' start on this side while I go on the other?"

"Okay." she nodded enthusiastically, and reached up on her tiptoes to start washing as far up the car as she could.

Jasper glanced back at Alice as he reached his guitar and picked it up. He gulped and his eyes widened as he saw her stretching to reach the roof of the red Camaro. The T-shirt had risen with her arm and her round, firm butt could be seen in her too-tight bathing suit bottoms. She turned to rinse out the sponge in the bucket of soapy water and Jasper could see that the front of her T-shirt was now soaked and completely transparent. Yeah, she was right. Her top was way too small and, with the flimsy, wet cotton stuck to her like plastic wrap, he could see that she had indeed grown over the last couple months. He could barely tear his eyes away. "God! I'm such a perv!" he thought raising his eyes to the sky. "Why couldn't I resist her for a couple more years, at least?" he asked himself for the thousandth time, trying to adjust his pants without being obvious.

* * *

Bella got out of her dad's car at the road and walked up the driveway with her guitar, just as Edward was coming across the lawn.

"Hey, Ali! A little chilly for a car wash, isn' it?" Bella laughed, as she reached Alice.

"I'm having too much fun to notice!" she smiled at Bella. "Practice again, huh?"

"Well, practice does make perfect, and I'm a perfectionist, so..." Ali smirked at her. "Well, I am! It's a flaw, but, since I have so few, I admit to that one so people realize that I'm just human." Bella grinned at Alice, who grinned back.

"Hey! How's the car comin', ladies?" inquired Edward who, by now, had reached the driveway and stood at Bella's side.

"It looks awesome! Don't you think, Edward?" Alice asked him, excitedly.

"It does! I love the color Rosalie picked! You guys cruisin' to the game with the top down?"

"Rose said we are, if it's not too cold." answered Ali, rinsing some soap off the car.

"Well, since your lips are blue and you're shivering, I hope you're gonna' dry off first." Edward snickered.

Alice giggled. "Edward, you're such a goof! You two should come with us. Emmett said it's gonna' be a great game."

"If it's okay with Rose, maybe I will. I haven't been to a game for pleasure in a long time. Been busy making music, and now our practices have started. It'll be a long time before I have the chance to go again." He smiled at Ali and chucked her under the chin before turning to Bella, "How about you, Bella?"

"Sounds fun! I'd love to." She grinned at them. "Let me know if it's OK with Rose." And she went to get out her guitar.

Ali grinned at Edward. "I'll ask Rose, I'm sure she won't mind, and I'll let you know when we're ready to go."

"Okay, thanks, Ali." He kissed her on the forehead and went into the garage.

Alice twirled around and danced back over by the car. She was so happy that her and Edward were becoming close, finally.

* * *

Ali skipped into the garage some time later, as the band played the end notes of a song. "Hey guys! Sounds awesome! I just wanted to let you guys know that Rose said you can all go with us to the game, if you want. I'm on my way home to get ready, so we'll leave in about a half hour."

"Okay, Ali, thanks!" said Edward. "We're pretty much done any way so, whenever you're ready."

"Bella, you're welcome to freshen up, if you need to." Ali invited.

"I'd like that, Ali. You guys mind?" she asked, turning toward the boys.

"Naw, go ahead." answered Jasper.

"Yeah, take your time. We're cool." said Brent.

Jasper looked over at Alice, his mouth grim. "Alice! You're shaking and your lips are blue!" He also noticed through her wet, transparent shirt, that other parts of her were cold as well. He took off the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing over his T-shirt and pulled it over her head. "Go get warmed up, Ali." He ordered with a scowl.

Alice frowned, "Jasper, stop being so bossy! I'm gonna' go take a warm shower right now. Geeze!" She walked out the big front garage door, then stopped and turned. "Thank you for your shirt, Jas." And grinning, said, "Come on, Bella."

* * *

Emmett had to be at the game early, so Jasper, Brent and Edward decided to ride with him. They were already gone when the three girls piled into Rose's Camaro. Bella squeezed into the back, and Alice rode in the front with Rose. The top was down and Rosalie cranked the music. They were singing and laughing when they pulled into the high school parking lot. The teams were warming up and several of the players turned to look as they got out of the car, one let out a low whistle. Rose walked over to the fence to see Emmett, and then made her way up to the top of the bleachers, with Alice and Bella following behind.

"Jas," Edward leaned closer to him, "look at all the guys checking out your sister."

He turned to see Rose climbing the bleachers. She had on tight jeans, 3 inch heels, a tank top and a gauzy, button-up blouse over that. Her hair was styled and her make-up was perfect. Not what you'd expect for a high school baseball game, but that was Rose. He noticed that Alice was making her way up the bleachers behind Rose and his eyes darted down to the field. Sure enough, most of the guys had their eyes glued to her backside. She had on tight black jeans, black heeled boots, a black camisole and a totally see-through charcoal-colored blouse. He glared up at her. That outfit was something skanky girls wore to bars to pick up guys, not to baseball games. As he made his way up the steep stairs after Alice, he noticed she also had on a lot of make-up.

"What the hell is that all over your face, Ali?" he growled, when he reached the girls.

"It's make-up, Jasper, obviously." she rolled her eyes.

"Well you have way too much on. And look at your shirt! Every guy here is going to think you're easy." he rasped, too angry to talk normally.

"Relax, Jas." interjected Rose. "We're just having fun. It's not like Ali is gonna' go home with some guy."

Alice and Bella just looked up at him from where they sat, not saying anything. "Fine!" he snapped. "Whatever!" He stomped back down the bleachers.

Alice looked at Rose, "What was that all about?" she asked.

"That," answered Rose, "was about Jasper being an ass! Boys think it's okay when they look at girls, but if someone looks at their sister, they go all ape shit. Don't worry about him, just enjoy yourself."

"Okay." she said, but some of the excitement was missing now.

The game started and the girls cheered and hollered for the William's Bay team. When Emmett hit a home run, Rose stood up and wolf whistled loudly, which made Emmett grin and look up at her.

Alice had begun to really enjoy herself when she spotted Jasper talking to a familiar form.

There stood Savannah with her arms draped over Jasper's shoulders and her breasts mashed against his chest. He laughed at something she said and she inserted her knee between his legs. He had his hands on her back and didn't look like he was planning to break up with her anytime soon.

Alice's heart clenched. Had he still been seeing Savannah the whole time they had been going together? She had thought she could trust Jasper more than anyone, now she didn't know what to think. Maybe he just hadn't had the chance to break it off with Savannah and he didn't want to do it in front of all these people. Then, Savannah stretched up and planted a kiss on Jasper's lips and Jasper grinned at her when she was done. Alice's chest felt as though it had been stabbed.

All the joy was stripped from Alice. She just wanted to go home, but she couldn't ask Rose to leave without telling her why, so she sat there pretending everything was fine, the gaping hole in her chest trying desperately to gather up the slivers of her broken heart.


	22. In Turmoil

22.

In Turmoil

Jasper glanced up at Alice in the stands. He knew it was mean, but he wanted to see if she had noticed him with Savannah. She was driving him crazy and she didn't even understand why. She looked like she was here to pick up guys instead of watch her big brother"s baseball game. Even Savannah didn't look as cheap as she did right now, and he hated that the other guys were checking her out.

He knew it wasn't entirely her fault. Rose was the one who was trying to 'girl' her up. Rose thrived on the attention, but Ali didn't even notice that she was being admired. She liked nice clothes and dressing up, but, really, should she even be owning something like that, let alone wearing it? Obviously, Carlisle hand't seen it. He wouldn't have let her out of the house dressed like that.

If he had to be honest with himself, the top itself wasn't even an issue. Her camisole more than covered anything that shouldn't be seen. It was just the idea of being able to see the camisole through the top. It sent the wrong message! Any guy would drool himself dry just being able to see through a girl's shirt. It made it more exciting to visualize what was still hidden! Of course, Ali wouldn't know that. She was much too innocent for her own good. She just saw it as something Rosalie wore and she thought Rose was cool and wanted to be like her.

He saw Alice and Bella looking over at Rose, and then all three of them looked at him. Rose was glaring at him, Bella just looked confused and Ali? She just gave him a sad smile. Damn it! He hadn't gone after Savannah! She had come up to him. He hadn't even known she was gonna' be there! He hadn't really seen her in almost three weeks, not in private, any way. He didn't want to break up with her over the phone, and certainly not here in front of all these people. What the hell did they expect him to do?

"Hey, Jas! Brent and I are gonna' go sit up by the girls." said Edward. "We'll see ya' later, K?"

"Yeah, I'll be up in a bit." Jasper replied, looking over at Edward. Savannah ran her hand down his chest and he turned back to her. "Savannah, I really need to talk to you."

Savannah laughed. "Talk?" she smirked at him. "I think that can be arranged." She pressed herself against him suggestively. "I've really missed you, Jasper. How come you've hardly called me lately?" she pouted and looked up at him through her lashes.

He ran his hand through his hair. "Well, we've been working a lot on getting the band ready for my parents' party on the fourth. We finally got a bass player and have been cramming in as much practice as possible. In fact, my dad is having the garage sound-proofed this week so we can practice even more."

"Jas! That's so cool! I wanna' come over and hear you! You know, I get my license this week. Maybe I can drive over for a listen and then we can go out. What'd ya' think?"

Jasper thought that might be a good time to give her the bad news. He'd never broken up with anyone before, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her feelings. He'd 'gone together' with girls from school before. They met at dances and hung around after school some, but he'd never kissed any of them or broke it off with them. It would just get kind of boring and they would stop hanging out, but still be friends, or whatever. Savannah was his first real, official girlfriend and he really hadn't treated her that well. Sure, he'd taken her to Kristy's party, that had been pretty interesting, to say the least, and they'd gone to dinner and to a few movies, but he had only talked to her a couple times on the phone since he had kissed Ali that first night, and he had only seen her once. He had been at the mall with Edward and Emmett and she had been there with a couple of her friends. They had talked for a minute and then gone their separate ways. He could at least take her out for something to eat and then let her know that he had to end it.

"That would be good! You wanna' come over after school one night, or wait until next weekend?" He asked her.

"Hmmmmm... probably next weekend so we can spend more time together, huh?" she purred up at him with bedroom eyes and pursed lips, running her finger all the way down to the button on his jeans.

His eyes widened and he actually felt like he was breaking out in a sweat. There was a tingling in his jeans and he quickly said, "Yeah, that would be better."

"Okay, then, it's a date. I'll come over around five on Friday night. That okay?"

"Five is great. I'll take you for dinner afterward. Think about where you wanna' go, all right?" he smiled at her.

"Okay, Jas. I can't wait to hear you play! This'll be so awesome!" She leaned up and gave him a kiss on his mouth. "I'll let you go back with your friends and I'll see you on Friday." She ran her hands up his chest, turned on her heel and sashayed away.

Jasper watched her walk away. He looked over at the guys on the bench and they were all looking, too. She was pretty hot. He had to give her that. "Whew!" he let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. That had gone better than he expected. Now he just had to figure out what to tell her when he called it off.

Jasper turned toward the stands and saw Edward and Brent sitting by the girls. They were all watching the game and chatting. He made his way up the stands and sat down next to Alice.

"How's your girlfriend, Jasper?" said Rose in a fake, friendly voice. "What's her name again? Sandra?"

"Her name is Savannah, Rose, and she's not my girlfriend." he sighed. "I just haven't been able to officially break up with her yet."

"Could've fooled me." she sneered sweetly. "You looked pretty happy with her wrapped all around you like a cheap suit. Of course, you've never really cared about what you wear, have you?"

"Rose? Please? Not here. Not now. Okay?" he looked down at Alice trying to send a silent message to Rose. Alice had not even acknowledged that he was there. She just kept pretending to watch the game. Jasper sighed and Rose lay off him, but not before giving him a pointed look. He turned his head back to the game, but his mind was working double time.

Emmett hit a home run and all of them jumped up screaming and cheering. Emmett waved at them as he rounded the bases and his team mates ran out to pound him on the back. They were ahead 12 to 8 with one inning to go. It had been a close game, so far, and Jasper had hardly seen any of it.

Everyone sat back down as the next batter came up to the plate. Jasper leaned into Alice a little. "Enjoying the game, there, Ali Angel?"

She looked up at him and his stomach kinda' did the drop thing. She was just so perfect, even in all that make-up, she looked like something you'd find on top of a Christmas tree. "Yeah, we've been having fun. How about you?" Her eyes lowered to his chin.

"To be honest, I've hardly seen the game. I was busy trying to figure out how to get Savannah off me without hurting her feelings or making a big show out of it. She's gonna' come over next Friday night to hear us play and then I'm gonna' take her to get something to eat and break it off with her. That okay with you?" he leaned into her again.

She raised her eyes to his. "Um, sure, I guess. That would be nicer than doing it over the phone."

"That's what I thought, too. I'm glad you're okay with it." he smiled at her.

She gave him a small smile. "Sure. No problem." Then she turned back to watch the game. He frowned down at her for a second and then turned to watch the game himself.

* * *

There was much celebrating after the game. The bases had been loaded and then, Emmett hit the winning run and brought everyone in. They won 16 to 8 and the William's Bay team was carrying on something fierce!

"We have to celebrate!" Emmett cried. "Party!"

"Yeah! Man, we gotta'! It's like the law, or somethin'! Right?" yelled his team mate, Jake.

"You know it! Party time for the greatest team alive! Whoooooo!" their team mate, Tony screamed.

"Oh my God!" snarked Rosalie. "Could you guys, like, grow up, or something? It's just a frickin' baseball game. It's not like you cured cancer. Geeze!" she rolled her eyes.

Emmett lifted her off the ground and twirled her around. "Rosie! We are in the number one spot! You know that means we could go to state, right?" he set her down and grinned.

She smiled at him, "I know, Em. I'm happy for you. Okay, let's celebrate."

"Yeah!" he yelled and pulled her to him for a big, sloppy kiss.

"Damn it, Emmett Cullen!" Rose yelled at him, pulling her mouth away and punching him in the chest. "Do not man-handle me!"

"Aw, Rosie. Come on! I didn't mean nothin' by it. I'm just happy!" he grinned at her like a little boy and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Emmett, you piss me off so bad!" she said, but she was still smiling.

Rose decided that they could all go to the party as long as they behaved themselves and didn't get her in trouble. She called her mom and told her that she wouldn't stay out too late with them and would she let Esme know. Brent called his mom and she said it was okay as long as he was with Bella and the older kids, and she said she would let Bella's parents know. They all piled into Rose and Emmett's cars and drove over to Tony's house.

Tony got a bonfire going and then he, Emmett and a couple other guys went to get some hot dogs and Cokes. Tony's mom brought out a big cooler, some paper plates, cups and assorted snack stuff. She put everything on a large table on their patio and asked the kids to find some good roasting branches in the nearby woods. Alice and Bella asked her if there was anything they could do to help and Tony's mom thanked them and asked if they would just remind the boys to throw away their mess.

Bella and Alice agreed, thanked her and made their way to the woods to help find roasting sticks.

"What exactly would a roasting stick look like, Ali?" inquired Bella with a laugh.

Alice laughed, too, and told her to just find long sticks with smooth bark and little or no off-shooting branches.

They entered the woods and found two good ones right off the bat. Bella was excited, she'd never roasted anything over a fire pit before. Alice beckoned her onward and they hunted for more sticks. "You can never have too many, Bella." she said. "They burn up or get dropped easily. Besides, I have no idea how many people are even here!" They found five more when they ran into Jasper and Edward.

"Great job, girls! That's a lot of roasters!" exclaimed Edward. "We've got ten. Let's look a little more and then we'll head back. It's starting to get dark."

Alice shivered and put her arms around herself. It was also getting cold. "Dang! Why didn't I grab a jacket," she thought. The wind went right through her shirt and she may as well have been bare.

Edward and Bella kept going through the woods and she started after them when Jasper grabbed her from behind. "Shhh! Let's go this way."

He led her in the opposite direction from the others and, when they couldn't see or hear anyone else. Jasper pinned her to a tree and smashed his lips into hers. She tried to push him away and turn her face, but he held her firm. He gentled his kiss and coaxed a response from her. Soon, her head began to spin and she held onto him for dear life. He ran his hands up under her shirt and felt the soft skin on her stomach, then went around to her back. He smoothed her skin up to her shoulders and back down again. He briefly stopped at her bra, as if to unfasten it, but then moved back down to her waist. Finally, he pulled away and grinned at her. "I've been waiting all frickin' day to do that!"

She just looked up at him, her cheeks pink and her lips swollen. Then he remembered her reaction when he first kissed her. "Ali? You mad at me? Why'd you try to push me away?"

"I don't know, Jas." she lowered her eyes. "You were a jerk to me earlier. You know? About my make-up? And then, it really hurt me when you were with Savannah and, well, I just, you know, didn't really like it. You looked up at me from the field like you knew I wouldn't be happy to see you with her, but you didn't care. I'm just feeling kind of confused, I guess." she shrugged her small shoulders and looked up at him again.

"Ali, you know you're the only one for me. I didn't even know Savannah was going to be there." He placed his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. "I love you. I'm confused, too. I never want to hurt you, but neither one of us knows what the heck we're doing. You just have to try to trust me, okay?"

"Okay, Jasper, but you have to stop bossing me around all the time and making me feel like a little kid. I'm pretty much a teenager now, and I know a lot more than you give me credit for."

Jasper looked ashamed. "I know, Ali! It's just, I can still picture you as a little girl, you know? And I have always felt so protective of you. If something bad happened to you, I don't know what I would do. I've never been without you."

"Jas..."

Jasper put his hand up. "I know it's selfish. I'm only thinking of myself, but I've always kind of felt like you, you know, belonged to me."

"Jasper, you can't own another person. It's impossible. I love you and I like spending time with you, but only my parents can tell me what to do."

"Come on, Alice. I'm sorry, okay? Geeze! You're starting to sound like a naggy wife, for crying out loud!"

"Whatever, Jasper." Alice sighed and she turned to go. Jasper grabbed her arm. "Ow! Jasper! Let go of me!"

"Alice." he growled. "Don't act like a spoiled brat. Could we just try to have fun at the party and talk about this tomorrow?"

She dug in her heels. "Jasper Logan Hale!" she yelled. "You let go of me right now! I do not belong to you! I am going to have fun at this party and you are going to leave me alone!"

"No! I'm not! I'm not going to leave you alone! Not at some high school guy's house, outside at night, surrounded by woods!" he yelled back at her.

They stood there glaring at each other until they heard someone coming toward them. "Hey! Jasper! Where are you, man? Jas?"

Jasper's glare softened, "Damn! She was so frickin' cute!" He knew if he smiled, she'd kick his ass, but he could barely stop himself. "Ali, Edward's coming. Could we please talk about this later? I could ask to spend the night and we could figure it out. Please?"

She continued to glare, "Fine! Just don't be man-handling me all night!"

Jasper almost lost it! A grin threatened to escape. "Man-handle her? What?" She must've heard Rose tell Emmett that. Rose loved to lead Em around by the short hairs.

He quickly turned toward the direction he heard Edward coming from. "Okay, Ali. I won't." he responded, trying to hide his grin. Then, "Ed! We're over here!" He saw a couple more good sticks on the bush in front of him and broke them off. Walking toward where Edward was, he looked back to see Alice following. "Thanks, Ali." he allowed, "for waiting until later to talk."

* * *

"Like I said, it's fine." She picked her way through the tall grass and bushes, trailing behind Jasper, hoping the whole way that the fire was blazing, as she shivered in her skimpy blouse.

"This is the life," Ali thought with a sigh. She was perched on a log in front of the blazing bonfire with a hot dog on her stick and a bun in her hand. She was starving, but she was finally warm. Someone sat next to her on the log and she looked over to see Emmett's friend, Tony.

"Hi, Ali! Wow! You sure have grown since the last time I saw you!" He looked her up and down, his eyes glowing.

Alice giggled. "Hi, Tony! Thanks for noticing! There's not a lot of that at home with being the baby of the family."

Tony laughed. "Yeah. It must suck being Emmett's baby sister, huh?"

"Oh, he's great! It's just that, to him and Edward, I'm still five years old, ya' know?" she grinned at him. "What about you? You're the baby of the family. Don't your sisters still treat you like you're a little kid."

"Oh, hell yeah, they do! And ya' know, there ain't a damn thing I can do about it!" They both laughed. "Life sucks when you're the baby and your older siblings won't effin' move out all ready!" He continued to entertain her with stories concerning his treatment by his older sisters and Alice giggled until her stomach hurt. He was so funny!

Tony helped Alice take her hot dog off the stick with the bun and asked her if he could get her some mustard or a Coke. "Both would be nice, if you don't mind." she answered.

"For you, anything, Ali Oop." he smiled and stroked her cheek. He got up and disappeared toward the patio. She watched him go for a second and turned back toward the fire. She smiled to herself. It was nice to have someone pay attention to her just for her company. A creepy feeling came over her and she glanced up to see Jasper glowering at her from across the fire.

"Ha!" she thought. "How did he think I felt when Savannah was crawling all over him and he was enjoying it? And he cannot tell me he wasn't! I saw the way he was looking at her, with a big ol' grin on his face. Butt-head!" She looked over as Tony came back. He had a plate in one hand and two cans of Coke in the other.

"Here's a plate with some mustard, Ali, and I thought you might like a S'mores. I've got marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers."

"Tony! You now know my secret weakness!" she grinned up at him and he sat down and handed her a Coke.

She put the mustard on her hot dog and took a bite. She rolled her eyes, "Yum! I was starving! Thank you!"

"No problem!" he laughed. "Want me to roast your marshmallows for you?"

"Oh! Can I do it? I love roasting them!" She laughed. "It's so fun to see how close you can get to the fire without getting them in the flame."

"I know what you mean! I do that, too!" He took a stick and put two marshmallows on it and propped it against the log. "For when you're ready, M'lady." he joked. Then he put two marshmallows on another stick and propped it next to the first one. "Wanna' have a contest? We can see who can get the closest without burning theirs first."

Alice giggled. "Okay! I gotta' warn you, though, I'm good!" She swallowed the last bite of her hot dog and picked up her stick. "Ready?"

"Ready." Tony answered, picking his up as well.

They put them near the fire and laughed at how silly they were being.

"Hey, Ali! Tony! Whatcha' doin'?" asked Emmett, sitting down on the log next to theirs.

"Hi, Em!" grinned Alice. "We're seeing who can get their marshmallow closest without burning. I warned Tony that I'm gifted, but he was up to the challenge." Her eyes sparkled and Emmett grinned at her.

"Ali, you can have fun doing the silliest shit."

"She can, can't she?" Tony said, grinning over at Emmett. "When I came over, she was sitting all alone just smiling to herself, enjoying the fire and roasting a hot dog."

"Alone?" Emmett looked puzzled. "Where's Edward and Jas?"

Alice looked over at Jasper again. "Jas is over there," she nodded her head in his direction. "But I don't know where Edward is. I haven't seen him in a while."

Tony cut in. "I saw him a little while ago with some girl. She had like, a rocker chick hair cut, reddish-brown, and was a little shorter than Rose. You know her?"

"That would be Bella." said Alice.

"They were over by the table getting some pasta salad. They seemed to be having fun. They were laughing." Tony added.

"Cool. Thanks, Tone. Great party, by the way! Really effin' awesome. When it gets hot, I'll have you all over for swimming, for sure! No fire, though! When the girls get cold in their bathing suits, they'll have to snuggle up to us to keep warm!"

Tony and Alice laughed. "Emmett, Rose is right, you are a pig!"

"Oh, yeah?" he growled, standing up.

"No, Em! Not by the fire!" she screeched, putting her hands up and laughing hysterically.

Emmett sat back down. "You're lucky, Ali Oop! Saved by the fire."

She shook her head, laughing, "Emmett, you're such a goofball."

"Ha! She's got you there, pal!" Tony laughed, reaching behind Ali to play punch Emmett in the shoulder. Ali saw Jasper stand up over on his side of the fire. He took a step, but sat back down when Tony pulled his arm back.

"Oh my God!" thought Ali. "He's actually watching me to make sure that Tony doesn't hit on me! Lord! As if!" For one thing, Emmett would kill him. For another, Tony was almost six years older than her. "Like he'd really want someone my age. Jasper, you're such a douche!" she giggled to herself, though. He was so cute, the way he watched her. It made her feel like she was really special, and she loved that feeling.


	23. Feel the Noize

_This chapter is for LuckyCharms19, so she has something to read after a hard day of Shakespeare! LOL! (and for pureapotheosis, who loves the 'long ones'! Tee hee!)_

23.

Feel the Noize

Alice had a great time at Tony's party. A lot of people had talked to her, especially the guys, and she had loved the attention! They all knew that she was Emmett's baby sister, so she felt safe enough, and she had flirted outrageously. She had smiled so much that her cheeks were sore, and she had laughed so much that her stomach was sore, but she had never enjoyed herself as much. She tried to ignore the voice that whispered that part of her enjoyment had been knowing that Jasper had been brooding all night, never taking his eyes off of her.

She hadn't meant to upset him, she wished they could've had fun together, but he had been a jerk all night and she wasn't going to kiss his butt. Tony had treated her like a princess and, though she knew he was way too old for her, she thought about what it would be like to go out with him. She hugged herself in the back seat of Rosalie's car and smiled. It was exciting to find that she had a little power over the opposite sex. Several of Emmett's friends had commented on how much she'd grown and how pretty she had gotten. Emmett had made sure that was as far as it went, thank God, but she liked the attention, nonetheless! Maybe she wasn't such a loser, after all. If she could get the attention of the most handsome boy in William's Bay, and a fair amount of the cute boys at the high school, she must have something to offer. Grinning like an idiot, she laid her head against the back of her seat and closed her eyes.

Jasper sat stiffly in the front seat of Rose's car. He hadn't enjoyed one minute of the party because of the way Ali had acted. He was so pissed he was practically shaking. She hadn't said one word to him all night, not even when they had gotten in the car, and she had flirted with every guy at the party. Some girlfriend! Of course, no one knew that they were going together, except Rose, but she could've acted a little more restrained, instead of skankin' it up right in front of him.

He glanced back at her and saw that she was asleep. He smiled, she looked so cute all curled up against the back of the seat. With a sigh, he turned back to face the front and Rose looked at him.

"She asleep?"

"Yeah." Jasper rubbed his eyes and ran his hand though his hair.

"So..." Rose began. "What exactly was going on with you two tonight?"

"I don't really know." He looked over at her and could make out her features in the lights from the dash. "I know she was upset about seeing me with Savannah at the game, but I explained that I didn't want to cause a scene, and she seemed fine with it. Then she got all weird at Tony's and flirted with every guy there. I don't know what the hell happened."

"Did you even try to spend time with her at the party? Tony said she was sitting all by herself when he saw her."

"No, I didn't want Emmett to know we were going out." Jasper looked over his shoulder again. "Do you think she was trying to make me jealous?"

"I don't know, Jas. No one would've thought anything if you'd spent time together. You spend time together any other time." Rose said with a long sigh. "Maybe she was just trying to have a good time. You should've never started this with her. I told you not to. You could've at least waited until you guys were in high school."

Jasper looked at her and then looked down at his lap. "I know. I was thinking that the other day. I've got a lot to work out, but, you know? I do love her. I know you probably think I'm too young to know that, but I do."

"No, Jas. I don't think you're too young to know that you're in love. I just want you to be happy and I think this relationship isn't making either one of you happy right now. I just wish I could help you, but I have no idea what would help."

"Thanks, Rose, I appreciate you wanting to help. I'll figure it out. I have to." He looked over at her again and she gave him a small sympathetic smile.

Rose called Emmett after she pulled into her driveway. "Hey, Em? Ali fell asleep. You want us to just keep her at our house or bring her home?" She listened for a second, and nodded. "Okay. You'll tell your parents? K. See you in the morning. You, too. Good night." She closed her phone and looked at Jasper. "You wanna' carry her in?"

"Yeah, I will. Emmett drop off Brent and Bella yet?"

"He just left Bella's so he and Edward won't be here for another fifteen minutes, or so. You wanna' just wait until they get here? Em said he'll take her if we want." She tried not to look at him with pity, but he looked so down.

"Naw. I'll take her up. I'm ready to get some sleep anyway." He got out of the car and opened the back door. He undid Ali's seatbelt and slowly slid her across the seat. He lifted her against his chest and closed the door with his hip.

"Here," Rose said, meeting him by the front door, "Let me get the door for you." She let him in, "I'll be up in a sec. Just let me put my car in the garage."

Jasper entered the front hall and heard his mom. "Jas? That you?"

He poked his head into the living room. "Hey mom! It's me. Rose is putting the car away."

Lynnette laughed softly, "Ali fell asleep again, huh? Take her up to the guest room. I'll be up in a sec."

"Don't worry about it, Mom. Rose is gonna' take care of her when she gets in."

"Okay, baby. Did you have fun?"

"It was good. I'm just really tired, is all."

"Well, get some sleep, sugar, and I'll see you in the morning."

"G'night, Mom." He carried Alice up the stairs and went into the guest room with her. He gazed down at her and smirked. Her make-up was all smeared with black shit under her eyes. "That'll teach her to wear all that crap on her face." he thought. He looked up as Rose entered the room.

"Just lay her down, Jas. I'll change her and clean her up." said Rose.

"You know, Rose? She's not a baby any more. If she fell asleep like this and won't wake up, maybe we should just leave her. She gets really mad when we treat her like a baby, ya' know?" He thought about how she'd look by morning with smeared make up and tangled hair. Then he sighed, "Probably just as beautiful as always." he thought.

"It's fine, Jas. Don't be mean. She just wanted to have fun today. You better lighten up or she'll resent you bossing her around all the time." Rose left to get a washcloth and Jasper was lost in thought as he sat on the side of the bed. He thought about what Alice had said earlier about him bossing her around. He suddenly remembered hearing Alice telling Bella that he bossed her around more than her own brothers. He felt remorseful for being that way with her, but she had always come to him when she needed something, sometimes even before her own parents, and he felt responsible for her. How did he just turn that off?

Rose came back into the room and began to wash Ali's face. "How the hell can she sleep through that?" he marveled, not for the first time. "I'll get her one of my T-shirts." he said to Rose and went across the hall to his room. He grabbed the baseball jersey Alice had gotten him that said 'Jasper' across the back. He smiled smugly as he realized he had been unconsciously marking her as his, and went back to Rose. He handed the shirt to her and went to get ready for bed.

Rose shook her head when she saw Jasper's name on the shirt. That boy was gonna' learn his lessons hard. Poor Jas! He had no clue. Alice was already fighting against his control. What was he going to do when they got older? Alice wouldn't put up with his crap forever. She heaved a dramatic sigh. She had her own shit to work out, she guessed they'd have to work out theirs. She'd help when she could, of course, but what the hell did she really know?

Rose put Ali's clothes on the chair in the corner and pulled the covers over her. She looked at her sweet little face for a minute. She really loved the little stinker. She hoped she would have a happy life, with, or without Jasper. She left the room pulling the door closed softly behind her.

* * *

Alice woke up the next morning and it took her a minute to realize where she was. "Damn it! I must've fallen asleep again!" she thought. "God! I hate when I do that." She rolled over and let out a little scream when she saw Jasper sitting in the corner chair watching her. She clutched her hand to her chest and sat up. "Jasper! What are you doing? You scared the crap out of me! Geeze!"

He came over to the bed and sat on the edge. "I'm sorry I scared you. I couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind."

"So you came in here to watch me sleep?" she asked incredulously. "You _are_ turning into some kind of stalker! That's just creepy, Jas!"

He looked ashamed for a minute, but then he remembered her actions last night, and his face hardened. "Well, a stalker is still better than a... a..." He looked ashamed again. "Okay, a stalker is the worst, but I needed to talk to you as soon as you woke up."

"Jasper? Can't we just enjoy spending time together without all of this drama? This is no fun. I liked the way we were before you kissed me." She looked down at her lap and he reached over and pushed back a strand of her hair. She looked into his eyes. "It seems like we're always mad at each other now."

"You're right. I just can't stop thinking about you, though." he looked down at the floor. "I am always wondering what you're doing, who you're with, if you're okay." He looked at her nervously, wondering what she was thinking. "I know it's weird, but I can't help it. I even think about us, you know, uh... intimately. I must be some kind of degenerate, or something." He blushed and ran his hand through his hair. She just looked back at him. "Say something, Ali." he pleaded. "Even if it's something bad. Please, tell me what you're thinking."

She blinked and blushed. "You think about us... intimately? As in, you know," she continued in a whisper, "sex?"

He nodded and she stared at him wide-eyed. "That's just gross, Jas!" Her cheeks were bright red and she wrinkled her tiny nose at him.

Jasper couldn't help it. He started to laugh. "Ali, it's not gross from where I see it." He grinned at her expression. "You are so frickin' cute." He reached out and stroked her cheek. She grinned at him, but then her face turned serious again, she looked worried.

"Jas? Um... you don't expect me to... um, you know, do... well... _that_... with you, do you?" she looked down at her hands, nervously picking at her nails. "I don't think I can." She looked up, again. "I mean... ewwwww!"

Jasper chuckled. "No, Alice, love. I do not expect you to do … _that_ … with me. At least not for a long time. I've been told that fifteen year old boys think about it a lot. A lot more than they actually do it, anyway." He laughed again. "I guess I have been a little obsessive, huh? Sorry. I think I just realized that you are growing up and other guys are gonna' start noticing how awesome you are."

"You're such a dork, Jas. There are no other guys. No other guys have ever been interested in me."

"Well, you just didn't notice how the _other guys_ were _interested_ in you yesterday. I wanted to beat the crap out of them all, just for looking at you." He scooted closer and put his forehead to hers. "You're beautiful, Ali, and I'm selfish. I don't want anyone else to notice and steal you away before I can marry you."

Alice pulled her head back in shock. "Marry me?" She looked at him like he had just grown another head. "You want to marry me? How can you know that already?"

"It's simple." He put his hands out to his sides. "I love you." He said, matter of factually, dropping his hands back down. "I think I've always known I wanted to marry you." He smiled adoringly at her.

She still just looked at him. Her expression was shocked but he thought he saw a little fear there, too. He didn't want her to be scared of him. "You wanna' watch a movie with me this afternoon? Just the two of us? Like old times?" At Ali's nod, he said. "Well, I'll leave you to get dressed then, unless you just want to wear that home." He pointed to his shirt.

She looked down at the shirt she wore and then back up at him. "Please tell me that you did not dress me."

"Well... " he said with a devilish grin. At her horrified expression, he gave in, "No, Rose did. I won't do that any more, unless you ask me to, that is." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh, Lord," she said, looking toward the ceiling. "what did I ever do to deserve this?"

Jasper just grinned and left the room.

* * *

"Alice, would you like some breakfast before you go home?" asked Lynnette.

"No, thank you, Ms. Lynnette. I'm going to go home and shower and get dressed. Can I come back later, though? Jasper wanted me to watch a movie with him."

"Sure, honey. You know you are welcome here any time. Why so formal?" Lynnette asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe I'm just growing up." she smiled at her second mother.

Lynnette reached out and stroked her hair. "You sure are, Angel. Way too fast." She placed a kiss on her forehead. "Why don't you stay for dinner with us. We haven't had you around very much lately."

"Okay! I'd like that! Thank you, Ms. Lynn! See you later!" and out the door she ran toward home.

Lynnette watched her go with a wistful smile. Their baby was growing up so fast. How could any of them stand it when she was ready to go off to college? Well, luckily, they had a few years left. There would definitely be some tears the night Ali graduated. Lynn sighed and turned back to her muffins. She'd set one aside for Ali. She knew their princess would appreciate it.

* * *

Alice took a long, hot shower thinking about all that Jasper had said that morning. She couldn't believe he said he wanted to marry her. As far back as she could remember, she'd always thought of him as hers, but she knew, as she grew up, that he really wasn't. She also thought about how much fun she'd had at the party last night. Alice was smart enough to know that all of Emmett's friends flirted with her because she was his little sister. She knew it wasn't because they wanted to date her, or anything. But it had been fun! Tony had waited on her hand and foot and talked to her a long time. Even a lot of the girls had gone out of their way to pay attention to her. To them, she probably seemed like a little kid, especially because of her size. The difference, though, was that they hadn't treated her like a little kid. They had talked to her like she was an equal. No different than them. She never got that from Edward or Jasper. They always treated her like she wasn't as smart as them, or as experienced as them, and she hated it. To add to that, after Jasper had kissed her that first night, he started trying to control her every move. She had thought Edward was bad, but Jas was the worst! Not only had he been bossing her around, he had her sneaking around, too. She could see him not wanting anyone to see them kissing, but they always hung out together. Why would anyone think something was up if they just hung out? She rubbed her temples. All this drama and confusion was giving her a headache.

* * *

Jasper laid on his bed thinking and strumming his acoustic guitar when his phone rang. He picked it up without looking, "Hello? Hey, Savannah! How are you?"

Savannah wanted to make sure they were still on for Friday night. "Yeah! It'll be great to see you! Okay, see you then." He was a little nervous about breaking up with her, but he didn't feel right being in love with Ali and stringing Savannah along.

Ali came over after lunch and they popped a movie in. They snuggled in one of the easy chairs in the living room, like they always did, and just enjoyed each others company. Jasper loved holding her in his arms, breathing in her scent, and Ali loved being the center of his attention. They laughed and chatted happily during the movie and, afterward, they pulled out a board game to play until dinner.

Dinner was very relaxed. They had steak and chicken fajitas and, of course, Emmett was there, too. Jackson teased everyone, and he and Lynnette asked about the baseball game and party.

"The party was great!" Ali enthused. "Tony built a bonfire and we roasted hot dogs and S'mores."

Jasper saw the excited look on her face. She hadn't said anything about the boys flirting with her to him, but he knew she had enjoyed the attention.

"What about you, Jasper? Did you have fun at the party?" His mom asked him.

"It was okay." he answered. "I really didn't talk to too many people. Everyone was kind of loud and I was tired, for some reason."

"What about you, Emmett? Rose?" asked Jackson.

Rose said, "It was fun! Every one of our friends was there and Tony's mom had a bunch of food."

Emmett agreed. "Yeah! She's great that way! She's a lot like you and my mom, Ms. Lynn, always ready for kids to invade!" They all laughed.

"That is how it seems, sometimes, huh?" She observed with a smile. "But you know I always love having you kids and your friends over." Looking thoughtful, she added to Jasper, "You know? You guys should have a get-together for graduation."

"I don't know, Mom, a lot of other kids are having parties that night. Maybe we can just invite some of our closer friends to our Fourth of July party." Jasper suggested.

"That would be nice." Looking at Jackson, she asked, "What do you think, Jax? They could invite some of their friends, huh?"

"Sure! We always have a ton of people here, any way! The more the merrier." He agreed, cheerfully, but then his face became serious. "Just make sure you still spend some time with your grandparents. I also want you to go to dinner with us after the ceremony before you head off to any parties."

"For sure, Dad! Edward and I haven't even talked about going to any parties, yet." Jasper assured him.

"Okay." Turning to Rose and Emmett, Jackson inquired, "What about prom? You two have plans?"

"Yeah. It should be fun." said Emmett.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic, Em." probed Lynnette.

"He's just bummed because he has to wear a tux." scoffed Rosalie.

"I hate those monkey suits! They're so restrictive and I feel like an idiot!" interjected Emmett.

Jackson laughed. "I don't blame you, Em!"

"Dad! There is nothing wrong with a tux! Emmett looks very handsome in one. He's just a big baby when he can't get his way. He can change as soon as the dance and dinner are over." stated Rose.

Jasper smirked over at Emmett who scowled at him with a promise of retribution. Alice and Jackson just laughed.

Lynnette tried to calm things down. "Emmett, that doesn't seem so bad. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun."

"Yeah, we probably will." he submitted.

Changing the subject, Jackson turned to Alice. "So, Ali, my Angel, how is young Brent? You two set the date, yet?"

Alice rolled her eyes, she knew he'd get her sooner or later. She grinned, "No, not yet. I'm still waiting for the ring."

He barked with laughter and everyone grinned. Jackson sure knew how to cut the tension in a room.

* * *

The school week seemed to drag on forever. Jasper was still a little nervous about talking to Savannah. He hoped she wouldn't be upset. He wasn't sure how much she liked him, but he hoped she didn't take it too hard.

When Friday finally came, Jasper couldn't wait to get home. He grabbed a snack and went out to the garage. Edward had gone straight home to get his stuff, and would be over any second. Bella would be here soon, and Brent was hanging out with Ali for a while before practice. To kill time, Jasper ran through a new melody he was working on. He didn't have words for it yet, but he liked the way it flowed. Edward had admired it and promised Jas that he would help him work on some lyrics soon. He scribbled some ideas down on the notebook he always carried.

There was a rap on the big door and Jasper went over and pushed the button to raise it. "Hey Bella!" Jasper greeted her as she came in.

"Hey Jas!" she looked a little embarrassed. Jasper wondered what was going on with her.

"You okay, Bells?" he asked, concerned.

"Well, I wanted to ask you something kind of embarrassing." she looked everywhere but at him.

"Oh no!" he thought. "Is she going to ask me out?" He never got any vibe like that from Bella, in fact, he thought she kind of had a thing for Ed.

"What's up?" he tried to be nonchalant.

"Well, what is the band policy on dating? Within the group, I mean." she looked at him, finally.

"Well..." he looked thoughtful. "I suppose there is nothing wrong with it as long as it doesn't interfere with our playing."

"Oh. Good. Okay. Well, um... mind if I warm up?" she looked a little stressed.

"No! I don't mind. I just got started, myself. Wanna' warm up together?" he asked, relieved that she hadn't asked him out.

She smiled. "That sounds good."

Edward strolled toward Jasper's house. He went around the front when he heard guitars. The big doors were open and Bella and Jasper were having a jam session. He stood and watched. Bella fascinated him. She could be so girly one minute, and so tough the next. He really had a great time with her at Tony's party but he was nervous to ask her out. What if she thought he was too dorky for her? He sighed and made his presence known.

* * *

Brent looked at the clock. "I suppose I should get going, Ali. The guys'll be waiting for me. Well, them and Bella." he grinned.

Alice sighed. She was so tired of the band. Every member of it was her close friend, and she never got to spend time with any of them, unless you counted listening while they practiced. "Brent, can't you just blow them off today? We never get to spend any time together any more."

"I know, Ali. I'm sorry." he looked regretful. "It's just, I love it, ya' know?" his whole face lit up. "I feel like I'm on top of the world when we're playing. I could play forever, that's how awesome I feel when we're jammin'. It would be so cool if we got signed, you know, like, by a famous record label? I know we're good enough, we just need to get out there."

"Brent, you guys are too young to play places that serve alcohol. I checked. Maybe we can sign you up for some of the local events over the summer. What do you think?" she looked hopeful.

He looked excited. "That would be great, Ali! Can you do that?"

"I can try." she said. "I already checked into the Battle of the Bands at the fair in August. I've got to send in the application for it and arrange transportation, but there are several events all around here over the next few months. I'll see what I can find out."

He grabbed her up in a big hug. "Ali! You are the best!" he kissed her on the cheek and set her back down. "Does Jas know about this?" he asked.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him about it, no, but I will if you want me to." she looked a little worried.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Ali?" he quizzed her.

"You do know that Jas and Edward are going to Northwestern after high school, right?"

"No, I didn't, but what does that have to do with this?" He looked puzzled.

"I don't think they plan on being rock stars, ya' know? They're just really into music."

"If we got signed, I don't think they'd mind, Ali." he laughed. "I gotta' go. You comin'?"

"I'll be there in a little bit." she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She was not looking forward to seeing Savannah.

Alice went up to her room to get some of the stuff she had put together for the band and finally made her way over to the Hale's. She really did not want to be there while Savannah was there, but, on the other hand, she didn't want Savannah there without her, either. She was not happy that Jasper and her were going out by themselves afterward. She wasn't jealous, so much as she just did not like Savannah. She was always making snarky comments to her and had her hands all over Jas every chance she got.

Alice went to the front door. Stepping inside, she said, "Anyone here? It's Ali!"

"Come on in, Ali!" called Lynnette.

Alice closed the door behind her, meeting Lynnette in the hall. She gave her a big hug. "Thanks for dinner the other night. I really missed having dinner over here. Of course, Emmett is always here, so there isn't much food left, huh?" she laughed.

"I heard that!" Emmett said as Lynette and Alice came into the living room. The girls laughed. He and Rose were doing homework on the coffee table. "Hi, Ali Oop! How's it going?"

"Hi, Em! It's going!" she giggled. "It's pretty bad that I have to come over here to see you. Don't you ever come home?" Rose rolled her eyes.

Emmette grinned. "I like the company over here better. No offense!"

Alice giggled again. "None taken!" Rose grinned at her behind Emmett's back and Ali rolled her eyes.

"Well, I have an appointment with 'the band', so I guess I'll be on my way." said Ali turning to go into the kitchen.

"You know?" Emmett stopped her. "They're getting really good! I mean, really good!"

"Yeah, I know." she didn't look happy as she turned back toward the kitchen and disappeared through the door.

"Hey, Ali!" everyone called as she came in through the garage door.

"Hi, guys!" she greeted them. "If you can take a break, I brought some of the stuff I've been working on to show you."

"Sure!" said Brent, walking over to her. Jasper, Edward and Bella followed. Alice pulled a folder out of the stack in her arms.

"This is the logo I've been working on. Now, if you don't like it, be honest. I've got a few idea, but I thought this one was the best." She opened the folder and pulled out a shiny, black piece of poster board.

She handed it to Jasper and he gasped, his eyes going wide. "Ali! This is fantastic!" He looked up at her. "How did you do this?"

She blushed at his praise. "On my computer. I have graphic software and a Bamboo pad."

Edward took the paper from Jasper. "This is amazing, Ali! I can't believe you did this on your computer. Wow!" He handed it to Bella.

Bella looked at it. The paper was a thick, shiny, poster board-type paper. In the center was the word "Noize" in white and orange outline with the 'Z' extended down like a lightening bolt with a lime green center. "Ali! This is really good! It's edgy and definitely catches the eye." She looked up at Alice, who was beaming with pleasure. "You're very talented. You should consider a career in graphic art or advertising."

"Thank you, Bella!" Alice couldn't stop the huge smile from covering her face.

Brent came over and gave her a big hug. "I knew you'd do a great job, Ali Cat!"

"Thanks, you guys!" breathed Alice, blinking back tears. "I'm so glad that you like it! I also did it with 'the' in case you liked that better." She pulled out another design. This one was the same but with the word 'the' in front of the word 'Noize' in the same colors, but smaller and at an angle.

"I don't know," said Edward. "What do you guys think?" He handed the piece to Brent.

"Hmmmm, I think I like it better without 'the'. How about you, Bella?" Brent handed it to Bella.

"I like them both. I guess it depends on if we want to be 'the Noize' or just 'Noize'. She looked over at Jasper.

Jasper shrugged, "I never really thought about it. I think we could go either way." He looked at both of the designs. He couldn't believe that Alice had made these. They looked so professional. He looked up at her in amazement. She blushed and smiled. "What do you think, Ali? Are we 'the Noize' or 'Noize'?"

She looked shocked for a second. "You're asking me?"

"You're the one that came up with the name, and the logo. You are as qualified as anyone to decide." he answered.

"Well, ummmm..." she looked uncertain. "I think I like 'Noize' with no 'the' better. People would say, 'I'm going to see Noize tonight.', instead of 'the Noize'."

Jasper smiled and looked over at Edward. "Sounds good to me!" he grinned.

"Then its decided." laughed Bella. "We are officially, Noize! Now, should we make some? Noise, I mean?" They all laughed and, except for Jasper, went back to their places.

Jasper hung back with Alice. He looked down at her. "Thank you, Ali. You amaze me more every day."

"Jas..." she blushed and he reached out to stroke her cheek. She smiled up at him. "I'm glad you like it."

"I do. It's really awesome." Then, he looked concerned. "Um... will you meet me after Savannah drops me off tonight? I can let you know how it goes, is that okay?"

"I'd like that." she said, smiling shyly.

"Well, I better get back." He tipped his head toward the others.

She nodded, "I'll be over here." And she took her usual seat and settled in with her notes and sketchbook.

* * *

Rose opened the front door.

"Hi Rosie! You look pretty today!" squealed Savannah. Rose rolled her eyes and gestured for her to come in. If she didn't know that Jasper was breaking up with her tonight, she'd have slammed the door in her face.

Rose led her to the garage and opened the door for her. No sooner had she cleared the door and Rose slammed it behind her. Everyone looked over in surprise. Savannah preened. "Hi Everybody! I'm so excited to hear you play!" She walked further into the garage and Jasper came over to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself up against him. Alice looked away cringing as Savannah gave him an open-mouthed kiss. Jasper ended it as quickly as he could and led her over to a chair.

"Hi Ali!" Savannah greeted her in an annoying voice, like she was talking to a little kid. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm fine, Savannah. Thank you for asking." condescended Alice. She couldn't help it, the girl just got on her nerves.

"You know, you have beautiful skin. I would love to do a makeover on you one day! I could really make you look pretty, and older, too. What are you, again? Ten? Eleven?"

"I'll be thirteen in a couple weeks." Alice gritted her teeth. She glanced over at Jasper to see him looking at her with an apologetic expression on his face. She smiled and looked back at Savannah. "Thanks for offering to help me, though."

"No problem, sweetie! That's what friends are for." Savannah looked towards where the band was. "So, do I get to hear some awesome music now, or what?"

"Uh, oh yeah, sure." said Jasper, grateful that Ali hadn't gone off on her. "Ready guys?" he asked and Brent set the pace.

After about an hour of Savannah jumping around like an idiot with her boobs flopping all over, Alice excused herself and went home. She had all she could take for the night. Soon after, Savannah whined that she was getting hungry. Jasper asked if the others minded if they called it a night and they all agreed to meet at noon the next day. He walked them through the house and Emmett said he would take Brent and Bella home. Edward offered to ride along.

Jasper excused himself to go freshen up and he gave Rose a pointed look before disappearing.

"So, Savannah, how did you like the band?" Rose asked, trying to be polite.

"Oh my God, Rosie! They are so awesome! I've always thought it would be cool to go out with a rock star. It would be so awesome if Jassy became famous, huh?"

Rosalie bit her tongue. "Um, he wants to be a doctor, Savannah. I don't think he will be a rock star."

"Well, you never know! They are really good, and Jas is so sexy! Yum! I could just eat him up, ya' know?" Savannah licked her lips for emphasis.

Rose thought she was going to be sick. God! Why did she ever tell Jasper to find a girlfriend? She had been thinking about one of those loser skanks at his school, not some hoe from another district. Rose fisted her hands and had just opened her mouth to tell Savannah to keep her hands to herself when Jasper came flying into the room. He looked at them frantically and seemed relieved that Rose hadn't killed Savannah yet. His hair was damp around his face and he had a clean shirt on.

"Well, Savannah, it was nice talking to you. Have a _great_ time." She couldn't help smirking when she said the last part, knowing that Jas was gonna' kick her to the curb.

"You, too, Rosie! See ya'!" she simpered, eyeing Jasper like he was some kind of dessert. "Come on, Jassy." she said as she took his hand and led him out the front door.

Savannah was driving an older Oldsmobile Cutlas. It was in pretty good shape and Jasper asked her about it. "Oh! My dad got it for me. He wanted me to have something big in case I got in a crash, ya' know?" She looked over at Jasper. "Plus, it has a really big back seat." she added, suggestively, batting her lashes at him.

Jasper half smiled at her and asked her where she wanted to eat.

"How about the Olive Garden? I haven't been there in ages and I just _love_ their breadsticks."

"Great!" Jasper thought. Garlic breadsticks and her crawling all over him was not his idea of a good time. "Um, sure! I haven't been there in a while, myself."

As Savannah pulled into the parking lot of the Olive Garden, Jasper thought again that he couldn't wait to get his own license. Her driving made him nervous as hell. She'd been looking at everything but the road and she slammed on the brakes every time she came to a stop. They got out of the car and he held the door for her. They were seated right away and he was grateful it was at a table instead of a booth. He didn't think he could stand it if he had to sit on the same side of a booth with her. Her hands tended to be all over at once, and, not that he didn't enjoy that part, he didn't want to make this any harder than it had to be.

They ordered and, while they were waiting, he tried to bring up the subject of them dating. "So, Savannah, you know how I'm so busy with the band, and all?"

"Yes! It's so exciting! I just know you guys are going to be famous rock stars! I can't wait to see you perform on a stage!" she gushed. "You'll have to grow your hair longer and wear, like, rock T-shirts, or something, though. You don't want to look like dorks up there. That girl, Bella? Well, I will _have_ to give her a makeover! Her hair is cool, but she needs to fix her makeup. More eyeliner, ya' know? Hey! It wouldn't be a bad idea for all of you to wear eyeliner! Well, maybe not you, cuz you are gorgeous the way you are, but, Eddie and Brent? They're really cute and all, but they need some kind of edge, ya' know? Maybe rip off the sleeves of Eddie's button-up and have Brent wear, like, skin-tight satin shirts. Bella could, like, wear all black, slutty clothes, but not too slutty, cuz the girls'll hate her otherwise. Just, you know, like a short skirt and leggings, maybe with a tank top, or something."

To Jasper's relief, the food arrived then, and he got a break from Savannah's constant chatter. He thought it was sweet that she was trying to help the band, but he was pretty sure the others would hate all of her ideas. He couldn't imagine Bella in the outfit Savannah suggested, and he knew for a fact that Edward and Brent would be caught dead before either of them would wear eyeliner. He almost laughed out loud at that thought. He smirked to himself when he thought about what Edward would say if he suggested it. Ha!

"Jasper, thank you so much for taking me out to eat. Isn't it great not having to have your mom drive us? I know it's not cool for a girl to drive a guy around, but it's better than nothing, huh?" she smiled suggestively at him. "Besides, it's kinda' hard to have any fun with your mom there, if you know what I mean." She giggled.

He smiled, "Uh, yeah, I know what you mean." Then, he added, "How's your spaghetti?"

"It's yummy! I just love _big_ meatballs!" He rolled his eyes, did she have to turn everything sexual?

They ate in silence, _"thank God"_, for a few minutes. He had decided to wait until they were back in his driveway to talk to her about breaking up. He figured that would be the best for both of them. She could enjoy her dinner and he wouldn't have to worry about her leaving him here if she got pissed. He could always call Emmett or Rose, but he'd rather not have to deal with that if he didn't have to.

"What's up with Edward and Bella?" Savannah asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" puzzled Jasper.

"Well, they were making goo-goo eyes at each other. Are they going out?"

"You know, I'm not sure. I don't think so. They're getting there, though, I think. They just kind of hooked up last weekend for the first time." Jasper answered.

"What happened last weekend?" Savannah wanted to know.

"We all went to a party at one of Emmett's friend's house after the ball game and they hung out together the whole night."

"Awwwww! That's so cute! He always looks like he's got a stick up his ass. Maybe she can get him to loosen up some." Savannah laughed. "Brent's hot, though. How old is he?"

Jasper was a little put-out about the way she talked about his friends. "Brent is in Ali's class, he just turned thirteen a couple months ago."

"Too bad he's so young. I have a girlfriend who would probably just love him. She's sixteen. I'll have to ask her what her age limits are." Savannah looked deep in thought. "Come to think of it," she said, looking up at Jasper with an excited glint in her eye. "I have the perfect guy for Ali, too! He's almost sixteen, but he's real sweet and he would be real gentle with her. Give her some life experience, ya' know?"

Jasper clenched his hands under the table. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Ali doesn't need any life experience. She is just fine the way she is."

"Sorry, Jas. I know you're protective of her. It was just a thought." Then, she pushed, "Why are you so protective of her? She's got two big brothers, ya' know? She don't really need you lookin' after her. I get that your families are close, but, give yourself a break in that area. It must be such a drag to have to watch her every minute. She's such a baby! No one would ever guess that she's gonna' be thirteen! Besides the whole, tiny, pixie-looking thing she's got going on, she reminds me of a spoiled, pouty, little princess. You're right, though. No guy would probably want to stick his thing in her, any way. Not with her innocent, don't-touch-me, tude, ya' know? She'd probably run screaming 'rape' and get his ass locked up!" She laughed at her own joke, but Jasper just stared at her. She looked up and her eyes went wide.

"You love her, don't you? That's why you're always all up in her business. I should've seen it before!" she nodded. She reached out and laid her hand on his arm. "It's okay, Jas, you can't help who you love. Why are you here with me, if you want her?"

"I... well, she's young and... I thought... you know, I'd make other friends." He knew that sounded lame, but she caught him off-guard.

"Oh. I get it! You ain't getting' nothing from Saint Alice, so you came looking for someone who you could play with, huh?" she gave him a knowing smile.

"I didn't plan it that way, Savannah. Honest. I didn't know I felt that way about her when I asked you out." He felt like such a jerk. Savannah was a pain in the ass, but she didn't deserve to be treated this way.

"Look, it don't bother me none. I'm with you and she's home playing with her dollies!" she laughed at her own joke, again.

"God! She's irritating." thought Jas, but he said, "Well, I'm glad you're not mad. I never meant to hurt your feelings."

"Pshah! My feelins' ain't hurt. I've had a lot of fun with you, Jas. Not as much as I would like," she smiled at him suggestively, again. "But, you're a doll and, like I said, I wouldn't have gone out with you if you weren't." The waitress came by with the check and asked them if she could get them anything else.

"Would you like anything else, Savannah?" Jasper asked her.

Savannah looked up at the waitress and smirked, "Not that I can get here, ya' know what I mean?"

Jasper turned bright red and the waitress looked at him and set down the check. She gave him a sympathetic smile and thanked them for coming and walked away.

"Savannah!" Jasper admonished her. "I wish you wouldn't have said that."

"Relax, Jas. You know she was wishing she could have you for dessert, too. You just don't get how hot you are, do you?" She shook her head at his lack of vanity. "You are major yummy and could have any girl you wanted. I'd hang it up for Ali and enjoy yourself. Life's too short to wait forever for what you want. Play your music and reap the rewards! Girls will throw themselves at you. You could have a new one every night! You're only fifteen for crying out loud! Why would you want to settle? Love ain't everything, ya' know? Plenty of time for that later."

Jasper knew some of what she said made sense, but there wasn't much he could do about the way he felt. "Yeah, I'll have to think about that." Then he stood up and held his out to help her up. "You ready to go?" The night hadn't actually gone the way he planned, but at least the deed was done.

Savannah took his hand and stood up. She leaned into him. "Yummy!" she breathed. "Remember what I said. Any girl. Any time."


	24. Innocent No More

24.

Innocent No More

"Alice, I'm so glad that you asked me to stay over! I've never been to a sleep-over before." Bella smiled as she stuffed more popcorn into her mouth. They had been giggling and joking around all night, and watching movies.

Alice grinned at her, "I've never been to one, either! Well, with girls, any way." Alice looked thoughtful for a second. "Wait! That didn't come out right! I mean, I've never had one with boys, either. Well, I have, but not, you know, like _that_! Just with my brothers and Rose and Jas. Well, not all together, well, we were together, but..." She giggled. "I mean, you know, with anyone besides Jasper and Rose."

Bella laughed so hard she started choking on her popcorn. Alice, bent over laughing now, jumped up and smacked her on the back. Bella swallowed, took a drink of her Coke and started laughing again, as Alice fell to the floor, giggling.

"Oh my God! Alice, you are so funny!" she gasped for breath. "Do you ever stop to think before you say stuff? You crack me up!"

Alice gasped for a second and put her hand on her stomach. "Oh! I can't breath!" she gasped, again. "Oh... um, I usually think afterward. It's a curse!" She tried to take a couple deep breaths when Bella giggled again.

"Or part of your charm. Depends on which way you look at it, huh?" They grinned at each other.

There was a knock at the door and Esme came in. "Are you girls having fun?" she smiled. "I heard you both choking on laughter, and, maybe popcorn?" She raised her brow, and laughed. She was so happy that Alice had befriended Bella.

"We're having a blast, Mom! Thanks for letting Bella stay over!" Alice skipped over and gave her mom a big hug.

"You are both welcome! I am so glad that you became friends! It's great to see you having so much fun." Alice could've sworn she had a tear in her eye. "Well, your dad and I are going to bed. If you need anything, help yourselves. You know the rules, Alice."

"No problem, Mom. We're probably just going to finish our movie and go to sleep." She gave her mom a kiss goodnight and went over and lay back on the bed by Bella.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Cullen." Bella called.

"Goodnight, Bella, dear. Sleep well, you two." She closed the door behind her and Bella looked at Alice.

"Your mom is so cool, Ali. And so pretty! Edward looks a lot like her. Your dad is nice, too. You and Emmett look like him, huh? Dark hair and blue eyes? But your eyes are so dark. Who'd you get them from?" she asked.

Alice looked thoughtful for a second and then said, "Bella, I really don't look like my dad, or Emmett. I just happen to have a similar hair color, but mine is actually darker, like my eyes. I'm adopted. I don't know who my parents were. No one does. I was abandoned at my dad's hospital."

Bella looked shocked. "Oh! Alice! I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

"It's okay, Bella! I'm happy here. Besides, my real mom could've been a druggie, for all I know, and I would've had a terrible life if she'd have kept me. My parents and brothers have never treated me like I don't belong. Well, Edward used to, I guess he was jealous of my relationship with Jasper, but now we're close."

"Since I'm asking terribly personal questions any way, do you mind if I ask you what your relationship with Jasper is?"

Alice blushed and looked down. Bella smirked. She thought there was more to it than what Alice had told her before. There was just this feeling in the air when they were together, and they were always either really happy, or really mad at each other.

"Well, Bella," Alice looked up and into her eyes. "If I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell anyone."

Bella's eyes widened and she nodded. "I promise."

"You have to swear on your life that you won't tell a soul." Alice added, dramatically.

"I swear, Ali. I won't tell anyone. Not a soul." She leaned closer to Alice, eyes still wide.

"Jasper and I are in love." Bella gasped. Alice squealed, "I know! He kissed me one night and then told me he couldn't resist. He told me that he loved me and that he had been trying to fight his feelings cuz he's supposed to be, like, my big brother, but he couldn't help it. He wants me to sneak out and meet him later, after he gets back from breaking up with Savannah. He even told me that he wants to have, you know,... sex, with me, but I'm too young."

Bella sat back with a loud gasp and put her hand to her chest. "No! Oh my God, Alice! What did you say?"

"I told him I couldn't any way cuz it would be gross!" Alice wrinkled up her nose. "Why do boys want to do that? Yuck!"

"I know! My cousin in Arizona got pregnant at sixteen and told me that she didn't even know why she let her boyfriend do it. She said that it hurt and was really messy. Then, when she found out she was pregnant, he broke up with her!"

Alice looked sad. "Oh no! Poor thing! What happened?"

"She gave up the baby for adoption. She just couldn't take care of it and finish school, too. She had no job and no where to live, ya' know?" Bella looked at Alice with a frown. "Maybe that's what happened to your real mom. Maybe once her boyfriend got what he wanted from her, he dumped her and she just couldn't take care of you."

Alice looked at her intensely. "I bet you're right, Bella! Guys are such pigs, aren't they?" Her face softened. "But not Jas. He's so thoughtful by not trying to make me do that with him." She sighed with a dreamy smile on her face. "He told me that he wants to marry me."

"Oh, Alice! You are so lucky to find someone so nice already!" She looked down like she was trying to decide something. Looking back up at Alice, she said. "Ali? Since we're sharing secrets, can I tell you one?"

Alice's eyes got wide and she nodded. Bella continued, "You have to promise you won't say anything, okay?"

"I won't, Bella! I never tell secrets! Ask Emmett! I know secrets about him and I've never told anyone! Ever!"

"Okay, well, I think I,... no, I _know..._ I like... Edward." She looked at Alice, and bit her lip.

"Bella! That is so great!" Alice looked so excited. "You guys are perfect for each other! You are so cool and he can be so dorky! You will bring out the cool in him and he will be so happy!" She jumped up and started dancing around the room. "Oh, Bella! We have got to get you two together! This is going to be so awesome!"

Bella looked worried. "Ali! You promised you wouldn't tell!"

Alice stopped jumping around. "Bella! I'm not going to! We just need to make Edward see you as his dream girl. It'll be so easy, you'll see!" She hugged herself and giggled. "Edward won't know what hit him when we're done!"

Her head was filled with plans, but Bella still looked worried.

* * *

Jasper led Savannah out to her car and opened her door for her. She got in and he walked around to the passenger side. When he got in, she was looking at him strangely. "What?" he finally said.

She looked at him with a smirk on her face and then started the car. She backed out of the spot and just started driving. Jasper was irked. He hated when people did that. After a few minutes, he couldn't stand it and asked, "Savannah, what were you going to say a few minutes ago?"

"Well, Jas. I have a surprise for you. Just be patient, okay?" She giggled and put her hand on his thigh, stroking it back and forth until he put his hand over hers. She giggled again. "You're still such a virgin, Jas! You need to lighten up." She laughed and patted his leg.

Savannah definitely had Jasper's attention. He had no idea where she was going and he wished she'd stop playing games. He just wanted to go home and see Ali. He sighed and decided to just relax and see what she was up to.

Savannah pulled into an abandoned construction site just outside of town. The company that had started the luxury neighborhood had gone out of business, so it had been sitting empty for a few months now. She drove slowly down the roadway past several partially-finished homes.

"Okay, Savannah. What's going on?" Jasper demanded, firmly. She may be older and it may be her car, but he was still bigger and stronger, and he wanted some answers.

"Hold your panties on, Jassy! Geeze!" she giggled, pulling over in front of the last shell of a house. She turned off the car and the headlights, but left the radio and dash lights on.

"Okay, Mr. Impatient. Here's what I was thinkin'. You love Ali, but she's still just a baby. Right?" Before he could answer, she went on. "There is no way you're gonna' get any from her for a long, long time, so..." She ran her hand up his leg almost to his crotch and stopped. He held his breath, looking at her with a frown. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I think you're really, really hot and, all I've wanted to do since I first saw you, was rip off your clothes and have my way with you." She backed up slightly to look in his face. Running her hands up his chest to the buttons on his shirt, she fondled the top one and breathed, "What if we, you know, continue to have _fun_, now that your mom doesn't have to chaperone us any more, and no one has to know?"

Jasper covered her hands with his. "Savannah, I can't. It wouldn't be right."

Savannah pouted and looked up under her lashes at him. "Well, why not? No one else would know, Jassy. It wouldn't hurt anybody." She pulled her hands from under his and started to undo her blouse. He sucked in his breath. She giggled and pulled the material apart, exposing her large breasts, barely contained in a lacy, hot pink bra. Jasper couldn't tear his eyes away and Savannah undid the clasp that held her bra together. She pulled it apart slowly and released her breasts with a soft bounce. She knew that boys loved her breasts. They were big and round with dark pink nipples that jutted straight out. She got them right after she'd turned fourteen and had been letting boys touch them ever since. Of course, she'd let one of them do more than that right before she'd turned fifteen. She figured that she was pretty experienced now.

"Go ahead, Jasper. Touch them. They won't bite." She giggled again at her joke and the expression on his face.

"Um... I... I can't... Savannah. I... it's not right." He looked at her face. "I can't use you like that. I won't disrespect you." His eyes went back down to her chest despite his fighting not to let them.

Savannah laughed. "Jasper, how can you be using me if I want it as bad as you?" She scooted closer to him and, pressing her bare breasts against his shirted chest, kissed him. She loved that she was more experienced than Jasper. For some reason, it really excited her.

Jasper let out a little groan and starting kissing her back. He brought his hands up to her upper arms, his thumbs making little circles there. Savannah grinned in triumph and moved one of his hands to her breast. At Jasper's gasp, she stuck her tongue in his mouth and moaned deep into his mouth. He started breathing heavy and brought his other hand around. He began kneading her breasts and rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. Her breath caught in her throat and she began to pant.

"Oh my God, Jas! I want you so much." Savannah moaned as he moved his mouth to her neck. He nipped and sucked on the smooth skin of her neck and she let her head fall back, giving him better access. He moved down her throat to her chest and took one of her nipples in his mouth. Savannah let out a squeal. "Jasper! Are you sure you've never done this before?" She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. She ran her hands up and down his chest and then began to undo his jeans.

Jasper stopped her with his hand. "Uh... Savannah, I don't know." She looked at him and smirked. His eyes glowed in the dimly lit car and his breath was coming in pants. She could feel that he was hard as stone beneath her hand and she just had to see if he was as big as she remembered.

"Jas," she whispered, cajoling, "just enjoy it. Why not? No one will know." She undid the buttons on his jeans and slowly pulled down the zipper. He sprang into her hand and she feasted her eyes on his length. "Well, I wasn't dreaming, was I?" she purred. "You are everything I remembered." She stroked him gently with her hand and he stiffened his whole body. She giggled again and reached under her skirt to pull off her hot pink panties. She drew them down her legs looking straight into his wide eyes as she did, and then shifted to straddle him, drawing her bra and blouse off as she moved.

"I... well, I... I don't have any... you know, condoms." he stammered.

She placed her lips against the base of his neck. "Don't worry, big guy, I've got some." she murmured into his throat.

Jasper squeezed his eyes shut. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, but it felt so good. His mind went back and forth, no, yes, no, yes... She had her hands everywhere at once. His skin was on fire and he was afraid he was going to lose it any second. He ran his hands all along her back and down her arms. Her skin was so silky and her breasts were so... just… amazing! He had seen pictures, of course, but the real thing was unbelievable. He ran his hands over them again and she arched her back. He could feel her warmth against his tip, she was so close. His breath was coming so hard now, that he thought he might pass out. He ran his lips down her throat and then back to her mouth again.

"Savannah," he rasped against her lips. "I... I can't wait... much longer. I'm... gonna'... um... "

"It's okay... Jas." She gasped out. She tore her mouth away from his and reached for her purse. She pulled out a couple foil packets and, using her teeth, tore the corner of one open. She looked at him. "Do you know how to use this?" She asked in a throaty voice. He looked lost for a minute. "Here, I'll show you." She took him gently in her hand and rolled the condom down his length.

He stiffened again, taking a deep breath to try and control himself. He couldn't believe this was happening. He never imagined anything like this. As soon as she was done, he pulled Savannah back to him and latched onto her mouth. He was gasping for air and sweat was pouring off of him. He felt her reach down and take him in her hand again. This time she adjusted so that he was at her entrance and, before he knew what was happening, she had inserted him into her heat as far as he could go. He shuddered at the feel of her surrounding him. He almost lost it, but made himself take some deep breaths until he gained control again.

Savannah started moving on him and he grunted from the pleasure. She laughed low in her throat and moaned. "Jasper... you are... a natural... at this... oh my... God... Jas... baby...!"

She threw her head back and he kissed the skin down to her chest and fondled her breasts. He didn't know how much longer he could last, but he didn't want it to end. She gasped and he put his hands on her hips to slow her down. He met her thrust for thrust and he felt her tightening around him. He held his breath, but it was no use. He let out a shout, followed by a low growl that turned into a groan and every muscle in his body stiffened. He emptied into her heat and felt himself soar from the pleasure. He couldn't move for a full minute afterward. He felt Savannah move on him a few more times before she collapsed on him in a sweaty heap, a shrill moan filling the air.

They lay there feeling the cool night air drying the sweat coating their skin. Jasper felt his muscles loosening and he kind of melted into the seat. Savannah sat up, his body still imbedded in hers. She got off him and grabbed her underwear. "Oh my God, Jasper! That was so intense!"

He turned his head to look at her wondering what he should do with the condom that still covered him. "Do you have any napkins or Kleenex?" he asked her, blushing violently.

Savannah giggled. "Jasper, you are such a doll! So sexy and yet, so innocent. Well, not so much any more, huh?" she giggled again, handing him a box of Kleenex. He grinned sheepishly at her and started to clean himself up. She handed him a plastic grocery bag and put on her bra and blouse.

After he cleaned up the best that he could, he adjusted his clothes and zipped up his pants. He reached over and pulled Savannah back to him. "Can't get enough of me, huh, handsome?" she giggled as he touched his lips to hers.

He kissed her passionately for a few minutes and then put his forehead to hers. He smiled at her. "I can't believe we did that. You were amazing!"

"So were you! You never did that before? It was the best!" she sighed and sat up. "I suppose we should get home. It's getting late and my mom will be having a shit fit if I'm too late." She started the car and started for the main road.

Jasper ran his hand through his hair, "Yeah, me, too. I had a great time, though. Thank you."

"Jasper Hale!" laughed Savannah as she pulled out onto the highway. "Did you just thank me for sex?"

Jasper looked ashamed. "No! No! I... just that I... you know? I had a good time, is all."

"I'm just messin' with ya'!" she giggled again. "I had a good time, too. I meant what I said, especially after tonight, I'd like to keep seeing you whenever we can. If you want to, that is."

He grinned at her, "I'd like that!" She grinned back, "Me, too!"

* * *

"Ali, something wrong?" Bella asked as Alice checked her phone again.

"It's just that Jas told me he'd text me when he got home, so I could meet him. It's getting late and I haven't heard from him. I hope he's okay." She looked at Bella with a little worried frown between her eyes.

"I'm sure he's fine, Ali. Maybe Savannah is being a pain and won't bring him home. I hope she didn't leave him somewhere!" They looked at each other with panic in their eyes. Then Bella came to her senses. "Oh! Well, if he has his phone with him, he'd just call Rose to come and get him, right?"

Alice looked relieved. "Oh, yeah! Duh! Maybe he got home and was just tired. He could've at least let me know, though! That's rude."

"Ali, why don't you just text him and see if he's home? I'm sure he didn't forget, maybe he just fell asleep before he could text you."

"Okay. You're probably right." Alice picked up her phone.

_Jas? U OK? U home yet?_

_Love, Ali xoxo_

She pushed 'send'. "Well, that's all I can do for now." Alice said, sitting on the bed by Bella.

Bella put her hand on Alice's arm, "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure he's fine." The phone buzzed. "See? There he is now!"

Ali flipped her phone open.

_Sorry, Ali. I just got home. Too tired. _

_C u 2morrow?_

"He said he just got home. He wants to wait to see me until tomorrow." She looked puzzled.

"Maybe Savannah was a drama queen about it, ya' know? Her whining would tire anybody out!" Bella looked concerned.

Alice laughed. "Poor Jas! I hope she didn't get dramatic on him. Knowing her, I'm sure she did! I'll text him back."

_Savannah give u a hard time? Poor baby! _

_U can fill me in 2morrow._

_Luv u! G'nite!_

_xxxx  
_

"I kind of feel bad for her, though, you know? They only went out a couple times and he's already dumping her. I hope she didn't like him too much." sympathized Ali.

"Well, girls like her don't have a hard time finding a new boyfriend. I'm sure she'll be fine." assured Bella.

Alice's phone buzzed again and she flipped it open quickly.

_Kinda. C u. _

_U 2. nite! _

_xx  
_

Alice looked at the message. "Well, he's probably worn out from practicing all day and then having to have a scene with Savannah." she thought, noting the short, impersonal message. She closed the phone, "Oh well, I'll see him in the morning." she smiled and turned back to Bella. "Well, where were we?" she said.

* * *

Jasper lay on his bed after a long, hot shower. "God! I feel exhausted." He grinned, "I haven't felt this relaxed in forever." He could get used to this, he thought. He couldn't believe that he had lost his virginity tonight. And him only in eighth grade! No other guy in William's Bay could say that! Not even Kristy's brother, Tom Justen, William's Bay high school's number one, Ladies' Man, could boast about that accomplishment.

He thought about Savannah. He still felt a little guilty about being with her when he had planned to break up with her tonight. She had insisted, though, and had enjoyed it as much as he had. He knew he had, technically, cheated on Alice, but she was still basically a child. He was a young man with needs. Wasn't he? He couldn't wait for her forever. He could enjoy himself, and then, when she was old enough, he could teach her what it was like to be a woman. The more he thought, the more he convinced himself that he wasn't doing anything wrong. He couldn't wait to see Savannah again. They had yet to figure out how they were going to get together without anyone knowing, but he wan't worried about it. They'd figure it out. He fell asleep with a big, satisfied smile on his face.

* * *

"Poor Jas! She must've been all over him." Emmett laughed after Jasper went to take a shower and go to bed.

"Yeah, poor Jas." said Rosalie, sarcastically. "He didn't look too upset to me."

"Give him a break, Rose. He's only fifteen years old. He should be going out with lots of different girls right now."

"Oh, yeah?" Rose asked, angrily. "Does that mean that's what you want to do?"

"No! No way!" He gathered her in his arms and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. "I only want to be with you, My Rosie. You are the only girl for me."

She smiled. "If you're sure."

"I am positive! I have never been unsure about that!" Emmett said firmly. "Not ever!"

"Well, if I tell you something, do you promise you won't freak out?" Rose asked.

"Sure, I promise." Emmett assured her, somewhat confused.

"You can't say anything cuz I promised I wouldn't tell you, but I'm concerned and I need to talk to someone about it."

"Okay, I'm here for you." Emmett said.

"Well, Jasper was supposed to break it off with Savannah tonight because he loves someone else." she said cautiously.

"Oh. Okay. So?" He looked even more puzzled.

"Well, he didn't look like he was upset at all. If he broke up with her, he would've been at least a little upset that he may have hurt someone. He was grinning from ear to ear and looked really tired. Not the signs that you had just broken up with your girlfriend. Huh?"

"Well, maybe he changed his mind. Maybe he's not in love with this other girl, after all. Who is the other girl? Bella?"

"No, Emmett. This is the part where I need you to stay calm. It's Ali." she looked at him like she was ready to duck.

"That's not news, Rose. The two of them are sickening. Our dads have always figured they'd end up together. Remember when you told me about Savannah when he first dated her? You said something about Jasper's girl and I told you that I thought Ali was his girl? Well," he shrugged. "no newsflash there."

"I know, Emmett! But Ali is only twelve!" Rose said in an exasperated voice.

Emmett pulled her into his arms, "Rosie, I have known I loved you since I was four! Why do you think I put up with your shit all these years?" He laughed when she struggled to get out of his arms. "I put up with you, because I think you are the most beautiful, most loving, most perfect woman, and you are all mine!" He grinned at her and used his puppy dog eyes on her.

"I hate you, Emmett Cullen!" she spat at him, but her eyes were twinkling and she smiled when he leaned in for a sweet kiss.


	25. Having His Cake

**Author's note: LOL! You guys are the best! I know you all hate Savannah (I've done my job) and are pissed at Jas right now, but give the kid a break! She's a man-eater and he has a strong libido. His good side will win, eventually... :o)**

25.

Having His Cake

Jasper woke up the next morning with a raging hard-on. He had dreamt about having sex all night. "I wonder if Savannah would want to go out again tonight?" he thought with a grin. Damn! If he had known sex was gonna' be that great, he would've started a long time ago. He grinned even wider. Of course, he was only fifteen so he would've started at what? Twelve, thirteen? He laughed as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and made his way down the hall to the bathroom.

He wondered what Savannah was doing right now. He had thought about her until he fell asleep last night. He was so glad that he hadn't been able to stop her from driving out of town with him. He couldn't stop thinking about what they had done and couldn't wait to do it again. He had to practice with the band for a while this afternoon, but he had no plans tonight. Maybe he'd give Savannah a call and see if she was free.

He whistled on the way back to his room and closed his bedroom door to get dressed. He looked at the clock and saw that it was 11:30 already. He better get going if he wanted to get something to eat before everyone got here at noon. He grinned as he undressed. He remembered Savannah's hands and lips all over him and his dick did a little happy dance. He pulled on jeans and a T-shirt and then made his way to the kitchen to have a quick sandwich.

* * *

Alice and Bella sat next to each other at Alice's desk with their heads together. They were looking over some of the venues Alice had put together for them to play at over the summer. "Most of them are fairs and carnivals, but you guys are too young to play clubs, yet." Bella nodded. "With all of the little towns around here, there is practically something going on every weekend. I've marked on this map all of the ones I've already contracted. See the red X's?" She looked at Bella, then she pointed to a blue 'O'. "The blue circles are places I have talked to, but that haven't committed yet. You guys said you wanted to play as much as possible, but I didn't book anything for the fourth, obviously, since you're playing for our parents' party, and I left the last weekend of August open for the Battle of the Bands at the state fair."

"Wow, Ali! You've been really busy! Yesterday you whip out this awesome logo and now you're telling me you already have us set up to play at five venues this summer?" Bella looked impressed.

"It's not that hard, Bella. I looked up local events and was just persuasive when I convinced them to hire you. Remember when I taped you guys playing? I set it up online so they could watch you in action while I was on the phone with them. They were really impressed when I told them your ages."

"You are the one that's impressive, Ali! Thank you so much! Wait until the boys hear about this! They are gonna' go crazy!"

Ali laughed, then said, "Speaking of the boys, I wonder why Jas hasn't called or text me, yet. He acted like he couldn't wait to get back last night so he could see me, and now I haven't heard from him."

Bella rolled her eyes. "You know how boys are. There's probably a baseball game on, or something."

She and Alice laughed and decided to go downstairs to eat lunch before going over to Jasper's for practice.

Jasper walked out to the garage and pushed the button to open the big door while talking on his phone. "I know! I can't wait, either. Okay, I'll be ready. Yeah! That would be cool. I'm not sure, yet. Why? It won't be a problem. Okay! See you then!" He hung up with Savannah and smiled in satisfaction. She was going to pick him up after practice and they were going to the drive-in movie. He got worked up just thinking about it. Savannah was going to bring a big comforter and they were going to park off to the side so they could play around without anyone seeing them. Now he just had to figure out what to tell Alice.

He ran his hand through his hair, wishing for the millionth time he had never kissed Ali that night. He knew he still loved her and he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he wanted to be able to have sex with Savannah without feeling guilty. He knew he was being a selfish bastard, but for some reason, he didn't care. He had discovered sex and he was addicted. Nothing was as good. Not music, not video games, not baseball, not even snuggling or making out with Ali. All he could think about was tonight and Savannah's lush body.

Jasper heard a noise and saw Brent ride up on his bicycle. "Hey Jas!" he called as he parked his bike. "How's it going?"

"Terrific! How 'bout you?" Jasper answered.

"Not too bad!" he laughed. "How'd it go with Savannah last night? She take it hard?"

"Well, I decided not to break it off with her, after all." said Jasper. "We don't hardly know each other and I thought I'd give it a chance, ya' know?"

"That's cool, I guess. She seems okay. I know the girls aren't crazy about her, but they don't have to date her, huh?" Brent laughed and Jasper joined in.

"Yeah! You're right! Wait until one of them brings over a guy we don't like! You think they'd break up because we didn't like him? Yeah, right!" Jasper shook his head, "Girls!" He and Brent went about getting things together for practice. Edward made his way over and started helping. "You know where Bella is, Ed?" Jasper asked him.

Edward looked up, "Naw, I haven't seen her. I heard her and Ali talking earlier, but they weren't down when I left."

"Okay. We'll give her a couple minutes and then I'll text Ali to send her over." Jasper got his guitar out of its case to warm up.

"Jas, you want to work on our new song tonight?" Edward asked him.

Jas turned toward him, "Sorry, Edward, I can't. I got plans."

"You do?" asked Edward, a little surprised. "Oh. Okay, no big deal. We can do it tomorrow, or whenever."

Bella and Alice walked into the garage. "You have plans tonight, Jas?" Alice asked him.

He looked over at her with an irritated expression on his face. "Yeah, Alice, I do." and he began to warm up his guitar.

Alice looked over at Bella and Bella shrugged. Alice had a frown between her brows, but she figured he just forgot to tell her that he was doing something tonight. She went over to sit down while they all tuned and warmed up their instruments. Edward gestured for them to stop and asked if anyone had anything they wanted to talk about before they began playing.

Bella piped up. "I do! I was talking to Ali this morning, and she has five gigs set up for us already over the summer. Not counting the state fair in August."

They all looked at Alice in surprise. "Ali! You did that? How?" Edward asked her, shocked.

"Well, I just looked up events in the area and called them all until I found some that were looking for entertainment still. Then I filled out their contracts and faxed them over. I'll have to have our parents sign for permission, since you are all under age, but no one seemed to think that was a big deal."

"She also made a video of us playing and emailed it to them while she was still on the phone with them!" added Bella.

"Wow! Ali! We just talked about setting up some gigs yesterday! How did you know how to do all that?" asked Brent, wide-eyed.

Ali shrugged. "I just did. I read some stuff online and asked questions when I called." She looked over at Jasper to see what he thought.

He was looking down, fiddling with his guitar. He looked up at her and gave her a fake-looking smile. "Great job, Ali! Thank you! "he said, somewhat condescending. "What about transportation?"

"Um, I'm still working on that, but Emmett and your dad said they'd drive if we needed them to. We may have to rent a van, or something."

"That's gonna' cost money, Alice. We'll have to figure that out." Jasper thought for a minute. "Maybe one of our dads' friends has a van or truck we can use."

"That's an idea! I'll check on that, Jas." Ali scribbled in her notebook and looked back up at him. Jasper gave her a cool smile and turned to the band. "Anything else, or can we get this practice going?" As everyone shook their heads, looking somewhat puzzled, Jasper said, "Good! Brent?" and nodded at Brent who started the beat.

"One, two. One, two, three, four!"

Alice looked down at her notebook blinking back tears. Something had changed between yesterday afternoon and today. She didn't know what it was, but Jasper was different. She wracked her brain trying to figure out if she had done something to make him mad at her. Maybe he found out that she had told Bella that they were going out! How could he have, though? She and Bella had just gotten here and had been together all morning. She was getting really tired of the drama between them. She was thinking that she'd been happier when he and Edward had just ignored her.

"Damn it!" Jasper burst out, making Ali jump, and stopped playing. The others stopped, also and just looked at him.

"What's wrong, Jas?" Edward asked him.

"I just can't get into it today, Edward! Maybe we need a break! We've been practicing every day! There's more to life than this!" Jasper set his guitar in its case and ran his hand through his hair. Everyone looked at him like he had gone crazy. "What?" he said, looking around at them all.

"Well," Brent answered. "you _never_ want a break. You always want to practice every day."

"Sorry, I guess I'm just tired." Jasper answered. "I got in later than I expected last night." He glanced over at Alice and she looked down quickly. With a sigh, he said, "How about if we run through a complete set and than pick up from there next time?"

"That sounds good." agreed Bella.

"Yeah. It's Saturday. Maybe we can all go to a movie later." suggested Brent.

"That would be fun!" said Bella. She looked over at Alice. "What do you think, Ali?"

She looked up and tried to smile, "Sure!"

"Okay, let's try this again, then." said Edward, as Jasper picked up his guitar.

About a half hour into practice, Alice excused herself and left the garage through the back door. No sooner had she closed it and taken a step away, it opened again, and Jasper stepped out, closing it behind him.

"I gotta' talk to you before you go, Ali." He looked kind of irritated, but his voice was soft.

"Okay." She just stood there with her notebook clutched to her chest, waiting for him to say something.

He ran his hand through his hair a couple of times, like he always did when he was thinking or worried about something, and just looked at her.

Finally, he sighed. "Ali, this is really hard for me to say, but I can't _not_ tell you. I'm going to the movies with Savannah tonight."

Alice looked up at him, wide-eyed, but didn't say anything.

"I tried to break up with her last night, but, I... she wouldn't... uh... listen. I told her I'd go with her tonight... so we could talk." He watched her closely, but she showed no reaction. She just kept looking at him, her eyes wide. "I don't mean to hurt you, Ali. I really do care about you and I'll work this out. Okay?"

Her eyes flickered, but her face remained blank. "Sure, Jas." she said in a small voice. "Good luck." and she turned to go, but he grabbed her arm, turning her back to face him.

"Can I call you when I get home?" he asked, hopefully.

She looked at him for a second, as though she were deciding. "If you're not too tired," she said, pulling her arm away and slowly walked back to her house.

Jasper sighed, again. He knew he was a jerk, but he wasn't trying to be. He wanted Ali, but he wanted sex, too. If he couldn't have it with Ali, he would with Savannah. He wanted his cake and to eat it, too. "What's wrong with that?" He thought as he went back into the garage. The sooner he got through practice, the sooner he could be with Savannah again. He grinned at the idea and felt the little happy dance start in his pants again.

Alice sighed as she entered her house. Everyone was gone and it was too quiet. She slowly walked up to her room and laid down on her bed. She didn't know what to think about Jasper going out with Savannah again tonight. She knew he had planned to break up with her last night and he said she wouldn't listen to him. Did that mean he would try again tonight? Or was he going out with her because he wanted to? She really didn't blame him if he wanted to. Savannah was annoying, but she was the kind of girl that guys liked, clingy, curvy and oozing sex. Next to Savannah, Alice knew she looked like a boy. She didn't know why Jasper had showed interest in her in the first place. He said he loved her, but people in love usually wanted to spend time together. Yesterday, he could barely take his eyes off of her. Today, he barely noticed that she was in the room.

"Maybe he's worried about Savannah giving him a hard time if he tries to break up with her again tonight." she thought. Savannah could be really difficult to talk to, and Jasper was always worried about hurting other people's feelings. He had seemed really preoccupied, too. He had flubbed up during practice a few times and he usually never made mistakes. "Well, he said he would call me when he gets home, so I guess I'll just have to wait."

Alice rolled over and tried to get comfy. She didn't feel like doing anything, but she wasn't sleepy, either. She got her book off the night stand, but couldn't concentrate, so she put it back. She thought maybe she'd check her email, but felt too lazy to get up to get her laptop. She decided to just lay there and think. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. Jasper had said he 'cared' about her, not 'loved' her, and that he would 'work it out', when he told her about going out with Savannah tonight. Right then she knew. He was having second thoughts about them.

Her chest began to hurt and her head throbbed. She couldn't do this any more. In the space of a couple weeks, she had been alternately elated and crushed more times than she could remember. She stared up at the ceiling, her eyes dry and wide open. She thought about how lonely she had been with everyone always busy, and how wonderful it had been finding Brent, and then, Jasper confessing his love. Now Brent was totally into the music and, Jasper was obviously otherwise occupied. She had made a good friend in Bella, but Bella was totally into Edward. Soon she wouldn't have any time for her, either. She wondered about her real mom. "I wonder if she's lonely like me?" she thought. She imagined finding her and the two of them being together, and happy, taking care of each other. She smiled imagining how it would be.

She loved the Cullens, and the Hales, with all her heart, but she realized that she had felt like she was on the outside looking in for a very long time now. She wondered how hard it would be to find her real mom. No one knew who she was, of course, but you could do anything online nowdays.

Alice jumped as her phone buzzed. She reached over and looked at the screen. It was a text from Brent. She flipped open her phone and saw that he wanted to know if she was ready to go to the movie. Emmett said he would drive them, but they had to leave soon. She typed back that she'd be right there, and got up to run a brush through her hair. She grabbed her purse and went next door.

The garage door was still open as Alice came around the corner. Everyone was putting the band stuff away and talking. She leaned against the door frame and waited, watching them. Jasper was still here and he and Brent were discussing a passage in one of their original songs. Bella and Edward were putting some electrical cords away, and Alice smiled to herself when she saw Bella blush as she accidentally bumped Edward's hand.

Feeling his eyes on her, Alice looked back over at Jasper. He was looking at her intently and took a step in her direction. She gave him a tentative smile and quickly walked across the garage and went inside the house. She just couldn't talk to him right now. Inside the house, she caught Rose and Emmett kissing. They jumped apart and she laughed and rolled her eyes. "He's just driving us to the movies, Rose! He'll be right back!" Rose grinned and Emmett growled, grabbing Ali and throwing her over his huge shoulder as she screamed. He smacked her on the butt, laughing. "I got ya' now, ya' little Imp!"

All three of them looked in surprise as the door was flung open and Jasper ran inside, eyes wide. He relaxed when his eyes focused on Alice. He grinned. "Openin' a can of Whoop Ass, Em?" he drawled.

"You know it!" Emmett grinned back. He shifted Ali in his arms and said,"Here! Wanna' turn?" and tossed Ali at Jasper.

Alice and Rose yelled, "No!" at the same time, and, though Jasper made a desperate attempt to catch her, Ali tried to keep a hold on Emmett and fell hard to the floor. She lay there wondering why she didn't feel any pain before everything went black.

* * *

A persistent buzzing sound, like a swarm of bees, was driving Ali crazy. Her head hurt and she couldn't swallow, plus it was pitch black. Her nightlight must've burned out again. She hated when it burned out. She would never admit it, but the dark terrified her. She suspected that her mom and dad knew, hence the strategically placed nightlights throughout the house. She tried to get up, but found she couldn't move. "What the heck?" The buzzing was getting louder, then, nothing.

"Dad!" Emmett shouted, running up to his dad. "I'm sorry! Is she okay? I didn't mean to drop her! She grabbed on at the last minute! Please! Tell me what's going on!" He hung onto his dad's shirt front with tears streaming down his face. Rose, Edward, Jasper, Brent and Bella all stood behind him in various stages of distress.

Carlisle put his hand on Emmett's arm, "Son, it's not your fault. No one blames you. She's under observation, but we won't know the full extent of her injuries until she... wakes up." His voice choked and he swallowed to clear his throat. "Your mom's with her and you and Edward can go in, if you want. The rest of you might as well go home and get some rest. We'll call you if there is any change. He hugged Rosalie, nodded at the rest and walked away, shoulders slumped.

"I'm not leaving you, Em." said Rose, settling in a chair in the hospital waiting area.

"How is everyone else gonna' get home?" he asked.

"My dad is coming to get us, Em." said Brent. "Don't worry about Bella and me. We can take Jasper, too, if you want."

Jasper gave him a hard look. "I am _not_ leaving." His cell phone buzzed and he looked at the screen. He made a huffing noise and threw it against the wall before turning and sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. He put his head in his hands and Emmett and Rose exchanged a look.

"Emmett." Rose stood up and laid her hand on his arm. "You and Edward go see your mom. The rest of us will take care of ourselves." Emmett laid his forehead on her shoulder, "Okay. Thanks, Rose." Edward walked toward the room with his head down and Emmett caught up with him and they walked in together.

Rose went over and sat next to Jasper. "What's going on in that head of yours, little brother?"

He looked up with tortured eyes. "Its my fault." he whispered. "She didn't grab Emmett cuz she was afraid, she just didn't want me to... touch her. I... I... didn't break up with Savannah. I tried! I did! But... we... ended up... well... _together_... and... I told Ali...."

"Jasper!" Rosalie gasped, her eyes wide. "You slept with Savannah and told Ali? Why would you want to hurt her like that? She's just a kid."

His eyes filled with tears. "I... I liked it. I wanted to... you know, do it... again. I didn't tell Ali that... just that I was going out with Savannah again. I told her that I'd... work it out." His voice caught. "I think she... knew..."

"Oh, Jasper. It'll be okay." She brought him to her and hugged him tight. They sat like that for a while, Jasper's mind reeling and Rosalie holding him and stroking his back.

* * *

Carlisle walked past the waiting area where Rose and Jasper were sitting. "Rose? What are you two still doing here?" he asked in a concerned voice.

Rosalie looked up, Jasper leaning against her shoulder. "We're not leaving, Carlisle." Jasper and Carlisle both looked at her in surprise. They had called Carlisle 'Mr.' out of respect since they were little. The adults had wanted them to use 'aunt' and 'uncle', but Emmet had started calling Lynnette, "Ms. Lynn', and it had stuck.

"No, I mean, why are you sitting out here?" Carlisle clarified. "Why aren't you in with Esme?"

"Well, they said family only, so we stayed out here." Rose answered.

"Rose, you and Jasper _are_ family. Come on." He helped her up and ushered her and Jasper into the room with his arms around their backs. Esme looked up from where she sat next to the bed. Edward sat in a chair in the corner, his head in his hands, and Emmett stood looking out the window. Alice lay still and pale in the bed like a tiny Sleeping Beauty, her dark hair spread across the pillow like an ebony halo.

Esme held her arms out to Jasper and he knelt on the floor at her feet and let her hold him as he sobbed. She stroked his hair and murmured soothing words to him. Rose went to Emmett and laid her head against his chest. His arms came around her as he continued to look out the window. Carlisle looked at Esme, "No change?" She just shook her head. "Jax and Lynnette will be here soon. They asked if you need anything?" Again, Esme shook her head. Carlisle sighed. "I'll see if the test results are in. Let me know if anything happens." Esme nodded and smiled, he reached out and caressed her cheek and left the room.

* * *

Jackson walked into Ali's hospital room. His face was pale and his nose and eyes were red. He went straight to the bed and gazed down at Ali. His hand came up to his face as though he could hold his emotion in by its mere presence. He shook his head slightly and looked over at Esme holding Jasper. "Nothing?" he asked. She shook her head. He looked at the other kids, "How about I get you guys something to eat, huh?"

Emmett looked away from the window, "No. Thanks."

Edward shook his head, "Me, neither."

Rose just turned her face back into Emmett's chest.

"Well, I'm not taking 'No' for an answer. Come on. Let's go. He ushered them towards the door. He stopped at Esme's side and bent down to gently rub Jasper's head. "Son? You want something to eat?" Jasper shook his head. Jackson looked at Esme and smiled sadly. "I'll bring you a sandwich and some Iced Tea?" She nodded and looked down at Jasper. Jackson looked down and nodded. He'd bring him something, too.

About twenty minutes after Jackson took the kids down for some dinner, Lynnette came bustling into the room. "Essie! So sorry I couldn't get here sooner! I had that training class in Milwaukee. Even though I left as soon as I got the call, it took forever!" She kissed her on the cheek and Jasper on the top of his head. "How ya' doin', Baby?" she asked him. He looked up at her, shook his head and laid his head back on Esme's lap. Esme and Lynn exchanged a look. He was taking Ali's condition hard. Lynn walked over to other side of the bed. "Ali? Angel? Where's Ms. Lynnie's big-eyed princess? Can you hear me, Sugar?" Esme looked on, hopefully. Lynnette met her eyes. "Jax says the Neurologist told him its rare for someone to wake up before at least twenty-four hours, Esme. You know this... "

"I know, Lynn." Esme sighed. "I just need to see those big, bright eyes, ya' know? Even for just a second." A tear ran down her cheek. "Oh, Lynn! What if... " Jasper stiffened and held his breath. She stroked his hair, "It's okay, Jas. I'm just being a dramatic mom. She'll be fine, Honey." His shoulders began to shake and Esme felt the material of her slacks dampen again. Esme looked down at him, "Jas, Honey, will you come for a walk with me? I need to stretch my legs." He shook his head. "Come on, please?"

Jasper raised his head and looked at her. "What if... what if she wakes up... and... and I'm not... here?" Her heart melted. He looked just like he had when he was little. He was in such a hurry to grow up, but he was still just boy.

"We'll just walk to the end of the hall and back, okay?" she said, kindly, wiping tears off his face.

He nodded and got to his feet. He reached down and helped Esme to her feet and then went over and hugged his mom. She squeezed him and reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. "It'll be okay, Jas. Go walk with Esme."

Esme held out her hand and Jasper took it and went with her out into the hallway. Lynnette went back over by the side of Ali's bed. "Okay, my girl. You need to open those pretty eyes of yours. Your mama really needs you to, and so does Jas. He's hurtin' really bad, Sugar, and your mama is barely holding it together. How about you open them for just a second so they can see that you're still in there, huh? I bet your daddy would even let you get that kitten you want so bad, if you open your eyes so he can see 'em for a second. You could even just wiggle your fingers and I bet your daddy would bring that kitty home to you. Come on, Baby." she cooed. She saw Ali's hand move ever so slightly and her breath hitched. "There you go! I knew you could do it! Can you wiggle your fingers for me, Honey?" She watched Ali's hands, but there was no movement. She sighed and pulled another chair up next to Esme's and sat down.

It looked like it was going to be a long night.


	26. Earth Angel

26.

Earth Angel

Esme could hear the murmur of voices coming from outside the door. She got out of the chair and walked out into the hallway. Jasper looked up from where he sat on the edge or Ali's bed and watched her walk out. He could hear people talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. He got up and walked closer the the door.

"There is considerable swelling but, until she wakes up, we won't know what the lasting effects will be." The neurologist looked sad, "I have to warn you both, as hard as this is to say, she may not... come around. There is the chance that she won't. There is brain activity, but it looks to be mostly autonomic, not cognitive. You may want to prepare the rest of your family if there is no response within the next twelve hours." He put his hand on Carlisle's arm, "I'm so sorry, Carlisle, Esme. Let me know if there is anything else I can do, or if you have any questions."

"Thank you, Don." Carlisle said, putting his arm around Esme. Esme began to sob softly, and the Neurologist walked away. "Come on, Es. Let's go get some coffee."

Jasper shook his head, "No. I won't let her not wake up." He walked back over to the bed. "Ali, please, open your eyes. Please. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to, I don't know what I was thinking. You have to wake up. I have to know that you can hear me." Jasper looked up at a noise from by the door.

"That's good. Keep talking to her." The nurse who entered the room said. "No one knows if she can hear you, or not, but some say it helps." The nurse checked the I.V. attached to Ali's hand and her temperature and made some notes on her chart. She smiled at Jasper, "Read to her, play her favorite music, anything she may respond to, brain injuries are unpredictable, you never know what could trigger awareness. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" At his nod, she walked out.

Jasper looked at the empty doorway, lost in thought. After a couple minutes, he picked up the phone on the bedside table and called his dad's cell phone.

"Jas? Any news?" Jackson asked, hopefully.

"Sorry, Dad." sighed Jasper. "I didn't mean to get your hopes up. There's no change. I just wondered if you could take me home to get some things."

"Sure, Jas. Why don't you get some rest while you're there? You could..."

"No! I'm coming straight back. I just want to get some stuff. Will you take me, or not?"

"Jasper. Of course, I will take you. I'll be up there in a few minutes."

"Okay, Dad. Thank you." Jasper started to hang up the phone, but stopped. "Dad?"

"Yeah?" Jackson answered.

"I love you."

"Love you, too, son.

Jasper hung up and got a notepad and pencil out of the drawer in the bedside table. He made a list of things to bring back. He was still thinking when Esme and Carlisle came back.

"Ms. Esme? A nurse came in while you were gone and said we should talk to Ali and play music for her. Can I go into your house and get some of her stuff? My dad said he'd take me in a few minutes." Jasper looked at her with a renewed hope on his face.

"What a great idea, Jasper." Esme smiled.

Carlisle added, "Jas, you know the code to get in, right?" At Jasper's nod, he continued, "just make sure you set it behind you, okay? We don't know how long we'll be here."

"No problem. Um... I think I broke my phone. Will you call my dad's if there is any news?" He asked.

Both Esme and Carlisle nodded. Jasper bent over Ali, putting his mouth next to her ear. "Ali? I have to run home to get some stuff. I'll be right back, okay? I'm not leaving you. I just have to do this real quick." He looked up as Jackson entered the room. "Dad! You ready?" Jackson nodded and Jasper walked quickly out of the room. Behind his back, Jackson and Carlisle exchanged a worried look.

"We'll be right back. Lynn and the kids are down in the courtyard. Lynn's got her phone if you need them."

'Thanks, Jax." smiled Esme and then turned to embrace Carlisle.

* * *

Jasper had the car door open before his dad came to a stop in the garage. He ran to his room and grabbed his iPod and headphones, some clean clothes and his music binder, and stuffed them into his duffle bag. He ran over to the Cullen's and typed in the code to open the front door. He took the stairs two at a time to Alice's room. He pulled a couple books off of her bookshelf, found her iPod and took her hair brush off of her dresser. He stuffed them into his bag and looked around to see if there was anything else that might help. His eyes landed on Ali's teddy bear sitting at the foot of her bed. He picked it up lovingly and put it to his nose. It smelled just like Ali and he had to fight to keep the tears from coming again. He looked around once more and then made his way back down the stairs. As he went out the door, he set the alarm and had an idea. He walked around to the side of the house and bent down to look under some flowering bushes. He saw hundreds of Lily of the Valleys growing there against the house. He put the teddy bear in his bag and picked a handful of the tiny, delicate flowers. They were Alice's favorite and he thought the strong fragrance might help bring her back.

Clutching the flowers in one hand and his bag in the other, he ran back to his house. His dad was waiting in the garage with some of his mom's clothes in his hand. "I'm ready, Dad."

"Okay Jas, let's go."

Lynnette and Esme were talking quietly in Ali's room when Jasper and Jackson got back. Jasper's eyes went straight to the bed. Alice hadn't moved. She lay exactly as she had been when he left. He sighed and took his bag over to the far side of the bed. "Ali? I brought you some flowers. Smell them and see if you can tell me what kind they are." He held the tiny bell-shaped lilies under her nose. "Don't they smell great? I'm going to put them next to your bed so you can smell them, okay?" He looked around and then looked over at his mom and Esme. "I forgot something to put them in."

Lynnette got up from her chair, "I'll see if I can find something, I'll be right back." and she walked out, Jackson right behind her.

"Jasper, that was so sweet of you to pick Ali some lilies. She would love them." Esme smiled, blinking back tears.

"She _will_ love them. When she wakes up, they will be right here." He laid them on the bedside table and set his bag on the edge of the bed. He pulled out the iPods, the headphones and the books, and laid them on the table, also. He took out the teddy bear and laid it on the pillow next to Ali's head. "Here's your Teddy, Ali. He was lonely, so I brought him to see you." He looked back over at Esme. "Do you think the nurses would mind if I took a shower? Its been almost two days and I probably smell."

Esme chuckled. "I think it would be fine, Jas. There are towels, shampoo and soap in there."

"Thanks, Ms. Esme." He took his bag and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Lynnette walked back into the room with a small plastic pill bottle in her hand. "Where's Jas?" She asked Esme.

"He asked to take a shower." Answered Esme, nodding towards the closed bathroom door.

Lynnette gave Esme a questioning look. "What is he up to, I wonder?" Shaking her head, she went over to the bedside table and picked up the small water pitcher. She poured some into the pill bottle and put the lilies in the container. She bent down to smell them and hummed her approval. "Mmmmmm. They do smell heavenly."

Rose and Emmett walked into the room. "Hey guys!" Called Emmett. "Ali awake, yet?"

Esme shook her head. "Not yet, Em. You two okay?" At their nods, she asked, "Edward still with Dad?"

"Yeah. Dad wants to take us home for some sleep and clean clothes. You think we should go?" answered her.

"Actually, I do, Em. Ali isn't in any danger and we just have to wait. If she wakes up while you're gone, I'll call you."

"Alright. Maybe we can take turns sitting with her, you know? So she always has someone here, but we can all get some sleep, too." Emmett suggested.

"That's sweet, Em." said Lynnette. "You guys go and, when you get back, maybe your mom and I can take a break, huh?"

"Well, you both look beat. Why don't you go first?" Rose said.

Esme looked at Lynnette. "I can't. Not yet."

Lynnette nodded. "Esme's not ready. We'll wait."

"Okay. We'll go find Dad. See you in a couple hours." Rose and Emmett gave their moms each a kiss and said goodbye to Ali, and went to find Jackson.

"Now if I could just get Carlisle to go home and get some sleep." Esme said, turning to Lynnette as she sat down next to her. "And Jasper."

Lynnette nodded. "That boy hasn't slept in over two days. I can't believe he left to go to the house for those things. He must think it's really important."

Both women turned their heads towards the bathroom door when it opened. Jasper came out with a determined look on his face. "I'm done, if you two want to go down and get something to eat or some coffee, or something." he said, giving his mom an especially pointed look.

"That would probably be a good idea, Esme, don't you think?" Lynnette said, turning to Esme.

Esme looked with longing at Alice. "I suppose." she said, reluctantly. She stood up with Lynnette and started slowly toward the door. "Jasper, you'll..."

"I promise. I'll call your cell if anything changes." He assured her.

"Okay, thank you, honey." She gave him a hug and reached up to stroke his wet hair out of his eyes. "You're a good boy, Jasper." she said, and followed Lynnette out the door, missing Jasper cringe at her words.

He didn't feel like a good boy. He felt guilty and ashamed, but he wasn't going to let that stand in the way of his plan. He went over to the bed and, taking a quick glance at the door to make sure no one was there, he gently lifted Alice and moved her over on the bed. Then he walked around to the other side of the bed, picked up his iPod and headphones, and laid on the bed next to Alice. He put one earbud in her ear and the other one in his ear and looked at the menu on his iPod. He found the file of the band playing and played it for them. All the while the music played, Jasper kept up a one-sided conversation of their plans for the band for the summer and how she had to wake up because they wouldn't know where to go or what to wear for the concerts she set up. He mentioned how proud he was of her for coming up with the cool logo and how amazing she was and how smart. He told her how much he would miss her if she didn't wake up and how empty his life would be without her to share it with. He grew frustrated when there was still no response and finally turned the music off.

"Damn it, Ali! Open your eyes! Right now!" he demanded. "You're really making me mad!" He knew she couldn't stand it when he was mad at her. He let out a little sob as there was still no response, and curled up next to her and started brushing her hair. "I'm not really mad, Ali. I just want you to open your eyes so bad. Won't you please try? Maybe you could just try to move your fingers for me." He put the brush on the table and took her hand in his. "Okay, try moving your fingers. Are you trying? Come on, you can do it. You're so stubborn sometimes! I know you can move them if you really want to."

"Carlisle, please go home with Jackson. He came all the way back to get you. You cannot go any longer without sleep." Esme pleaded.

"Shhhhhh." interrupted Carlisle, pointing to the bed as they walked into Alice's hospital room. There, fast asleep next to Ali, lay Jasper.

Esme walked over by the bed and looked down at Jasper's peaceful face. She smiled and pulled an extra blanket up over him. She turned back to Carlisle with a pleading look on her face. He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Okay." he whispered. "You win. Call me the instant something happens. Promise."

"You know I will." Esme whispered, walking over to him. "You're no good to any of us if you collapse yourself." She leaned up to kiss him before ushering him out the door. He went, reluctantly, pulling out his cell phone to call Jackson to meet him downstairs.

Esme walked back into the room and sat down on the lounge chair. She pulled the other extra blanket over herself and prayed that, if she could sleep at all, she would awaken to Ali's bright eyes and smiling face.

* * *

Jackson pulled his car into the garage at his home and turned off the engine. He turned to Carlisle. "You want to sleep here in case Esme calls?"

"That's a good idea. I'll go home and take a shower and change. Go ahead to bed. I'll come back to the guest room when I'm done." answered Carlisle, setting a hand on Jackson's shoulder. Jackson nodded and they both got out of the car. Emmett came out of the house into the garage.

"Anything happen?" he asked excitedly. Seeing the expressions on the two men's faces, the big grin on his face faded. "Oh." he said.

"Sorry, Em. We'll just have to be patient. Jackson and I are going to get some sleep before we have to be back at the hospital." Carlisle told him.

"Rose and Edward sleeping?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, Edward is in Jas' room and Rose finally fell asleep about an hour ago. I was on the couch, but I couldn't stop thinking." Emmett told him.

"Well, maybe you can get some shut-eye now that we're here. Lynnette is running some errands and your mom and Jasper are still with Ali. We're going to give them a break later. We all just have to take care of each other and we'll get through this. You'll see, everything will work out." He gave Emmett a tight hug. "Now, go get some sleep."

"Okay. See you both in a couple hours." He gave his dad a hug and went back into the house.

Carlisle looked at Jackson. "I don't know what I would do without you, my friend." He gave Jackson a hug and then wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

Jackson smiled. "If you don't go take a shower, you're gonna' find out." They grinned at each other and Carlisle headed home to do just that.

* * *

The sky was pitch black as Jasper gazed out the hospital room window. He had finally gotten some sleep and then read to Ali for over an hour when he woke up. His mom had brought him something to eat and then she had taken Esme down to the cafeteria. He looked over to the corner of the room. Esme was asleep on the lounge chair that folded out like a small bed, and his mom was sleeping on the cot the nurses had brought in for them. He took a deep breath. He could smell the lilies he had brought for Ali. He wondered if she could smell them, if she could smell anything.

He ran his hand through his hair and looked back out the window. It had been almost three days now, and there was still no change in Ali's condition. He was now facing the fact that she might never come back to him. He hadn't believed it when the doctor had told Carlisle to prepare everyone for the worst. Ali was too pure and full of life to... not make it. He could hardly think about what that meant. She had been such a big part of his life these past thirteen years that he couldn't imagine her not being there any more. He thought of all of the times he and Edward had ignored her or put her off so they could do what they wanted. He thought of all the times they had talked her into watching the movie they wanted or going where they wanted. She always gave in and made the best of it. She would just be happy that she was being included. Visibly flinching, he thought of how he had hurt her by wanting to be with Savannah. How getting laid was more important than Ali's feelings.

He looked toward the ceiling, trying to blink back the tears that threatened. He would do anything to change what happened. He'd asked himself a million times how he could've done that to her. He beat himself up over the fact that she had fallen because she hadn't wanted him to hold her.

Emmett and he had played catch with Ali hundreds of times in the past. She had always trusted him to catch her, and he had never failed to. He knew that she hadn't been scared that he wouldn't catch her, she had been scared that he would. He had seen how she had run into the house when he started to approach her that day in the garage. She hadn't wanted to talk to him, so he figured he'd work it out with her after he got home from being with Savannah. Then he had heard her scream. It had scared the crap out of him and he had run like a madman into the house. Relief had swept through him when he saw that Emmett had her. Then Emmett had thrown her to him, just like he had done so many times before, except this time, Ali had tried to stop him by grabbing onto him. He had seen the look on her face when she realized Emmett was going to give her to him. She had yelled for Emmett to stop, like she always did, but she had never tried to grab onto him before, and then she had fallen. Jasper had tried desperately to catch her, but he was too late. She had landed right on the back of her head with nothing to break her fall. She didn't even have a chance to try and catch herself. She had stared straight up at him, and then her eyes had fluttered closed.

He put his hand to his chest as he relived the pain he had felt at that moment. He had just stood there as Emmett scooped her up and laid her on the couch while Rose called 911. The other kids had come rushing into the house and he had finally snapped out of his daze. Now here he was, three days later, still feeling the pain as though it were new. He'd never forgive himself if Ali didn't make it. He'd spend the rest of his life making it up to her, if she did.

He heard a shuffling sound and glanced over toward the corner again. His mom shifted in her sleep and he went back over to lay down next to Ali. He'd play some of their music for her again, he decided. He put the earbud in her ear and the other one in his. Turning on the iPod, he lay back to listen.

Jasper lay with his eyes closed and thought about some changes he'd like to make to the song that was playing, when he felt something move. He opened his eyes expecting to see a nurse or one of the moms by the bed, but no one was there. He felt movement again and looked at Ali. Her head was turned. He sat up. "Ali? Ali? Are you awake?" he peered intently into her face. He saw her lip twitch and her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Jasper jumped off the bed. "Mom! Mom!" He called excitedly, his eyes never leaving Ali's face. Lynnette and Esme sat up and looked at him. They both leapt up and ran over to the bed.

"What is it, Jas?" Esme asked him, hopefully. Looking at Ali's face.

"Did she open her eyes? What happened, Jasper?" his mom asked, desperately.

He looked from one to the other, "She moved! She moved her head and her hand, and then her lip moved and she frowned. She's gonna' be okay! Right?"

The women looked at each other with worried frowns. Looking back at Jasper, his mom said, "I don't know, Jas. Let's call the nurse and see what she says." She pushed the call button and Esme clutched Ali's hand, searching her face for any movement.

* * *

Jasper turned and ran his hand through his hair. "Damn it! This is bullshit!" Lynnette put a hand on his arm.

"Jas." she admonished.

Jasper looked at her. "You know it is, Mom! They can't tell us anything! I know what I saw! It wasn't wishful thinking. She moved! It wasn't involuntary. She moved when I played the music for her and she moved when I talked to her."

Esme looked sad and Lynnette put her arm around her. The doctor and nurse who had come to examine Alice looked defeated. "I'm so sorry, Esme." The doctor said, "It could mean that she's coming around, but I don't want to get your hopes up for nothing. It's been three days, the swelling has diminished some, but, I have to be honest, it doesn't look good. I'll keep you all in my prayers."

A sob broke out of Esme's throat. She clutched the doctor's hand, "Thank you, Don." And then turned to cry into Lynnette's embrace.

The doctor and nurse left the room and Jasper kicked the chair leg. He knew what he saw. He wouldn't get Esme's hopes up for nothing. He looked over at her. His mom looked at him with understanding eyes. "It's okay." she mouthed to him, and patted Esme's back. After another few minutes, Esme lifted her head and Lynnette handed her some Kleenex. "Sorry." Esme mumbled.

"Esmerelda Cullen! Do not ever apologize to me for needing me to comfort you! You know I love you like a sister, that's what I'm here for."

"You are the best. You know that? I couldn't make it through this without you." Esme told her honestly.

"And we _will_ make it through this. All of us! You hear me? We are _not_ giving up!" Lynnette looked her in the eye. "Do you hear me?" Esme nodded and gave Lynnette a small smile. "Come on, we're awake, let's go get some coffee. Huh?" At Esme's nod, she put her arm around her and led her out of the room.

Jasper watched them go, torn between being pissed off and sadder than he had ever felt. He wanted to hit something, just bash something to bits, smash it to pieces. His fists were clenched so that his knuckles were white and his nails bit into his palms. He felt his blood boil and he bit his lip to keep from yelling out. He thought he'd take a walk down the hall and try to calm down when he heard a small sound. His head whipped toward the bed. "Okay, I did not imagine that." he thought. He walked over to look down at Ali. Her lashes fluttered slightly. He held his breath.

Suddenly, he was looking straight into the most beautiful sapphire blue eyes he had ever seen. A huge smile broke out on his face, "Jasper, what are you doing here?" came a small, breathless voice. "And why does my throat hurt so much?" Jasper started laughing and crying at the same time. His legs gave out and he slid to kneel next to the bed.

"Ali! Angel! Welcome back to earth!"


	27. She's baaaaack! Sorta'

27.

She's baaaaack! Sorta'...

_Jasper started laughing and crying at the same time. His legs gave out and he slid to kneel next to the bed._

_"Ali! Angel! Welcome back to earth!" _he said, giddily. "You kept me waiting a long time."

She looked at him, perplexed, "What is he talking about?" she thought.

Jasper grabbed the phone off the bedside table, quickly dialing his mom. "Mom! Come back! She's awake!" and he hung up. He reached out and brushed a lock of dark, shiny hair out of Ali's beautiful, pale face. He was looking at her so adoringly, and Ali thought he might be going crazy. Her head and throat hurt really bad.

"Maybe I've been sick." she thought. She looked away from Jasper's face and searched the room. "Where the heck am I?" It looked like the hospital, but she didn't remember getting sick. Surely not sick enough to be in the hospital. Had she been in a car accident? Suddenly, she felt so tired. Her eyes drifted closed, only to fly open again at Jasper's words.

"Ali! No! Don't close your eyes! Please! Your mom is coming to see you!" Jasper said from next to her. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "It would make her so happy if she could see your eyes open, okay?" Ali just stared up at him, trying to keep her eyes open.

Jasper heard noise from the doorway and looked up to see his mom and Esme rushing into the room. "Jasper!" Lynnette breathed, a huge smile spreading across her face.

Esme, tears streaming down her face, framed Ali's face with delicate hands. "Oh, Ali! It's so good to see those beautiful bright eyes of yours! Oh, Baby, I've missed you!" She leaned down to kiss Alice's pale cheek and stroke her hair.

"Mom..." Ali croaked, her throat felt raw. "I must've been pretty sick for them to all act so weird." she thought. She couldn't talk at all now, and she was so tired. Her eyes kept wanting to shut and she tried so hard to keep them open, but...

"Ali?" her mom said, frantically.

Her eyes popped open again. She couldn't focus, everything was blurry and she felt so tired. "So tired..." she whispered, and let her eyes slide closed.

Esme turned to Lynnette and they embraced, crying and smiling at the same time. Jasper still knelt by the bed, gazing at Ali's face, tears drying on his cheeks. He looked up at the two embracing women and smiled. Things were gonna' be okay.

* * *

"Yes, Carlisle! She spoke to us and everything! She's sleeping right now. Don said it's a natural sleep, not comatose. He said she'll probably sleep on and off for a while." she listened for a second and smiled. "Okay, My Life, we'll be here!" She closed her phone and looked over at Lynnette. "He said they'll be here as soon as they can. I could hear the kids and Jackson screaming in the background."

They laughed, and Lynnette said, "Well, I'm sure that made hearing on the phone easier!" They giggled, and Jasper smiled at them. They had been acting like a couple of giddy teenage girls since Ali woke up. He thought they were so funny, but he was glad that they were happy. Watching them suffer the last few days, had been really tough.

Forty-five minutes later, Lynnette looked at Esme and grinned. "Here they come!" she said. Ali looked at her, and smiled. She could hear them, too, well, she could hear Emmett!

Emmett let out a whoop as he rushed through the door with a bunch of bright colored balloons. "Ali Oop! I've never been so happy to see you!" he hollered and swooped in for a kiss to her cheek. Edward, Rose, Jackson and Carlisle followed behind. After kisses, and a few tears, and a bunch of flowers and stuffed animals, everyone was chatting excitedly. Ali gazed at them all. They were all so happy! She felt bad that she had worried them, but her heart was near to bursting at how much they all loved her.

"Carlisle? Esme?" Don said, as he walked into the room. "I am so happy for you! She looks great! We want to keep her a couple more days, of course, and run a few tests, but she should probably be able to go home after that." He smiled at them.

"Oh, Don! Thank you so much!" Esme gushed.

Don grinned and gave her a big hug, "My pleasure! Sometimes, my job isn't so bad, huh, Carlisle?" he said looking at Carlisle.

Carlisle grinned and said, "Yep! Moments like this make all the long hours worthwhile." he nodded. Don released Esme, clapped Carlisle on the back, nodded and smiled at the rest of them, and walked out.

A nurse bustled in, "Sorry to cut this party short," she said. "But our princess here needs to go down for an MRI. The tech'll be here in a second to get her." Looking at Alice, she said, "And then, I bet she'd really like a bath, huh?"

Ali smiled, but she had a worried look on her face. Jasper hovered over her, "What is it, Ali?" he asked.

Her throat was still really sore, but she rasped out, "MRI?"

Jackson picked up her hand gently, "Darlin', you just lay there and they take pictures of your head, that's all. You can even sleep while they do it. You just have to hold still, that's all."

She looked relieved, then looked at her mom. She croaked, "Come with...?"

Esme smiled and nodded. Carlisle came over and kissed her on her forehead. "I'm gonna' visit some of my patients while you're gone, sweetheart. I'll be back soon."

Jackson followed, "Me, too." He kissed her, also. "See ya' later, Punkin'!"

They walked out, smiling, arm in arm. The women looked at each other and giggled. "And they talk about us being all sentimental!" said Esme. And they giggled, again. Jasper looked at Edward and Emmett and rolled his eyes, then the three of them grinned at each other, as Rose smacked Emmett on the arm.

"Hey, little bro!" exclaimed Emmett, looking at Edward. "What say you, me and Rose, get Blondie, over here, outta' this room for a while?" Emmett ruffled Jasper's hair as the others nodded and then he escorted Jasper out of the room.

"I'll be here when you get back, Ali!" Jasper called as he was being pushed out the door. "I promise!" Ali smiled and Rose rolled her eyes at her before following them out of the room.

"I'm gonna' go with them. We'll grab you a sandwich, okay?" Lynnette said to Esme.

"That would be great, Lynn! Thank you." They embraced and then it was just Ali and her mom. Esme approached the bed. "Well, young lady, you sure have made a lot of people happy today."

"What happened...?" Ali whispered, she was finally wide awake for the first time since coming out of the coma.

"Well, all I really know, is that Emmett had you over his shoulder, tossed you to Jasper and you fell. They said Jas almost caught you, but you tried grabbing onto Emmett, and he couldn't get to you in time. You fell right onto the back of your head. Ali, you were unconscious for _three_ days." Her voice caught, "We didn't know if you were going to come back to us." A tear ran down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "Well, enough of that! You are back and we are all ecstatic! I've never been happier in my life." She squeezed Ali's hand and kissed her on the cheek.

Just then, the Xray Tech walked in with a wheelchair and escorted Ali and Esme down for her MRI.

* * *

"Well, she is fine in all aspects. I gotta' tell you, I'm honestly surprised. All signs pointed to brain damage when she first came in. The swelling was pretty significant. So, except for the short-term memory loss, I'd say she is one lucky little girl. You definitely have someone watching over that one." The neurologist said to Esme, Carlisle, Lynnette and Jackson, out in the hallway. The older kids all listened in from the doorway of Ali's room. "You can take her home in the morning, but no strenuous activities, like horseback riding or running, for a while, and I want her to get lots of rest. She doesn't have to stay in bed, per se, just take it easy for a week, or so."

"Don, I can guarantee that she'll be watched like a hawk." Jackson said, looking over at Jasper peeking out the door.

Don and Carlisle laughed, "I don't doubt it!" Don said. "I'll see her in the morning and then we'll schedule a follow-up in about a week."

Carlisle and Jackson shook Don's hand, and he hugged Esme and Lynnette, and then went down the hall. Jackson looked over toward the doorway and said, "Okay, you hoodlums! Whose riding home with me? I need some shut-eye!"

The kids all laughed, Jasper, rolling his eyes, said, "Who says 'hoodlums' any more?"

Emmett guffawed and smacked him on the back, "Yer dad, pardner!"

Rose giggled and hit Emmett on the arm, "You're all a bunch of goofs. Come on, let's go home for a while." They all gave Alice kisses and said their goodbyes, before following Jackson out the door.

Jackson turned at the last minute and caught Jasper's eye. "Son? You comin'? You haven't been home for a week."

Jasper shook his head, "I'm stayin'."

"Jas, come on, honey. Alice is fine. Go home for a while and get some sleep. Please? For me?" Lynnette pleaded.

Jasper just shook his head, crossed his arms and planted himself in a chair next to Ali's bed. "Not until tomorrow." he said. Lynnette sighed and nodded at Jackson, who left the room with a frown.

Alice looked at Jasper, all stiff and scowling, sitting next to her bed, "Jasper? Why won't you go home?" she asked him.

He looked down at her and his face softened. "I'm not leaving you until we get home." He uncrossed his arms and relaxed. "Do you wanna' listen to some music or have me read to you for a while?"

"Yes, please." She smiled and scooted over on the bed. She loved when Jasper laid next to her and they listened to his iPod together. It made her feel safe and happy. He had always acted like such a great big brother while she was growing up. He was always looking out for her and spoiling her, and it was just like when she was little again. She sighed, happily.

* * *

Ali was all settled in her room, Jasper lingered, making sure she was comfortable. "Okay, Ali. I'm going to go home for a while and let you nap, but I'll be back to see you in a couple hours."

"Okay, Jasper. Thank you." Ali rolled over and snuggled in. It was great to be home and in her own bed. She heard her bedroom door close softly and she drifted off to sleep.

"Hey, Jas!" Edward called as Jasper passed his bedroom door. "Brent and Bella want to know if you want to start practicing again in a couple days."

"Yeah, we probably should. How about after school tomorrow?" Jasper said.

"Cool! I'll call Bella right now." Edward smiled.

"Okay! I'm going home for a while. See you later!" They waved to each other and Jasper headed home.

Edward picked up his phone, still smiling. He hadn't seen Bella in days. They didn't come back to the hospital to see Ali because only family was allowed, but he had kept her and Brent informed by phone. He didn't know why she fascinated him so much, but he couldn't wait to see her.

"Bella? Hi! Jas said he would practice tomorrow after school, if you guys are available. Great! Ali's doing fine. She still can't remember what happened or a lot of things from right before she got hurt, but the doctor thinks she'll be all right, now. Yeah, you can see her when you come over tomorrow. Okay, I'll tell her. See you at school, then. Bye." He closed his phone and laid back on his bed. Ali was okay and he was going to see Bella tomorrow. Things were definitely looking up.

* * *

"Edward! Jasper! It's so great to see you both!" Bella called as the boys approached their usual lunch table. She hugged them both and blushed when she let go of Edward. Grinning, they all sat down.

"Where's Brent?" asked Jasper.

"He'll be here soon." said Bella. "I think he had to see one of his teachers first."

"It's so weird to be back at school." said Jasper. "It's like nothing ever happened, well, except Ali's not here." Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Lauren Stanley simpering down at him.

"Hi, Jasper! I'm so glad that Ali is better. We've all been so worried about her." She looked over at Edward, "You both must be so relieved."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, we are. Thanks, Lauren." He looked at Jasper.

"Yeah, thanks." Jasper said, reluctantly, looking up at her again.

"Well, if you need anything, even if it's just to talk, let me know." she smiled down at Jasper with a flirty look, and then walked away.

Jasper looked over at Edward, who was smirking at him. "It never ends, does it?" Edward asked him.

Jasper just shook his head and scowled at him. Edward burst out laughing.

Bella looked puzzled. "What never ends?" she asked, looking from one to the other.

Edward grinned at her. "Jasper being the girl magnet. Especially with Lauren! She has wanted him since like, first or second grade. She's relentless!" Edward laughed again.

"Laugh it up, _Eddie_!" Jasper growled, his eyes dancing with mischief. "You'll pay when you least expect it!"

Brent walked up. "Hey guys! Great to have you back! I can't wait to see Ali tonight! God! I missed you all!" He flung himself into his chair, grinning. "I missed my drums, too!" Brent laughed. "I didn't realize how much I like playin' 'em until they weren't around."

Edward laughed, "I know what you mean! I went out and played my keyboard for two hours last night! I was going through withdrawal!"

The four friends ate their lunch and chatted until it was time to go to class, again. All of them counting down the minutes until school was over.

* * *

"Ali Oop! You got company!" Emmett called as he brought Brent, Bella and Jasper into the living room, where she lay on the couch. Alice smiled at the small group and Bella walked over and gave her a gentle hug.

"Ali! I'm so glad you're feeling better! I missed you so much!" she said. Brent pushed her out of the way.

"My turn!" he sang, squeezing Ali for all he was worth. He looked at her adoringly. "Ali! You look great! I can't believe how much I missed you!" He kissed her on the cheek and brushed her hair back from her face. "You really scared us!"

Jasper scowled at Brent. "What the fuck?" he thought. "He'd have to keep an eye on Brent now, too? Damn it!"

Ali gazed up at Brent with sparkling eyes, "I missed you too!" she said.

Jasper cleared his throat. "Well, we gonna' practice today, or what?"

"Geeze, Jas! Give us a chance to spend a few minutes with Ali. We haven't seen her in a week." Brent laughed, squeezing Ali's hand.

Ali giggled. "He hasn't changed. If anything, he's gotten worse!" She said and both Brent and Bella laughed and watched as Jasper's scowl deepened. "I told you! He's worse than Emmet and Edward put together." She looked at Jasper. "I'm just teasin'. Jas. Don't be mad." Her eyes sparkled like an Imp's, and he couldn't help but smile.

"I know, Ali. I just can't help watchin' out for you, especially now. You're just so tiny and helpless."

"Jasper Hale! I am not helpless!" She glowered at him. "I just had a bump on my head! Geeze! Sometimes you make me so mad!"

He looked sheepishly at her and then grinned at Bella and Brent, "I think that's my cue to leave. I'll be next door when you guys are ready."

"Okay!" they both said, and Jasper squeezed Alice's toe through her blanket, got up and left.

"He's just concerned about you, Ali." Bella assured her.

"Yeah, you know, he blames himself for you getting hurt." Brent added.

"Well, he shouldn't, it was an accident! I hope he lets up soon. He's driving me crazy!"

* * *

The next weekend was the prom and Ali's parents let her walk over to the Hale's to see Emmett and Rose off. She went into Rose's room and gasped when she saw her. "Rose!" Ali breathed. "You look so beautiful!"

"Thank you, Ali!" She gave Ali a big hug. "I am so excited!" She checked herself in the mirror one more time, admiring the sleek, sapphire gown that skimmed her generous curves. It flowed around her hips and she twirled a little to set the hem swirling. "It's not too much, is it?" she asked, turning toward Alice.

Alice laughed. "How can you be so beautiful and still be so insecure, Rosalie?"

Rose smiled. "You're so sweet, Ali! Remember, though, beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

"Well, Emmett's eyes will be poppin' when he beholds you in that dress!" she giggled.

Emmett's eyes did indeed pop when Rosalie came out into the living room a few minutes later. She smiled shyly at him and he lit up the room with his grin. Walking forward, he presented her with a red rose corsage. He put it on her wrist and then offered her his arm, escorting her further into the room. Jasper and Edward looked at each other with questioning expressions and raised eyebrows. They shrugged and went to sit on the couch. Ali had followed Rose into the living room and perched on a chair. She smiled at the besotted expression on Em's face. "They're so cute!" she thought.

Lynnette came sailing into the room with her camera. "Picture time!" she sang. Emmett sat on the couch with the other boys as Lynnette posed Rose all around the room.

"Em? Why are you going to the prom with Rose? Why don't you ask some girl from school?" asked Jasper, with a perplexed look on his face. Edward nodded behind him.

Alice gaped at him while Emmett just frowned. "Why would I do that? Rose is the most awesome girl at school. Besides, she's my girlfriend. Don't you think she'd get pissed if I asked another girl?"

Edward and Jasper both looked at him, shocked. "She's your girlfriend?" Jas said.

Emmett looked at him like he had a screw loose. "Well, duh! You think I hang around her all the time 'cuz we're like you two girls?" he pointed from Jasper to Edward. "Always gossipin' and gigglin? I got me the best girl in the world and I ain't stupid enough to let her go!" He gave Jasper a knowing look and got up to have his picture taken with Rose.

Edward and Jasper looked at each other, and then over at Alice. Edward asked her, "Did you know about them, Ali?"

"Of course! You two can't be that blind! I've even caught them smooching a couple times!" She made a face like she tasted something bad, and laughed.

Edward just shook his head, "Well, I sure don't want to see that!" He shuddered.

Jasper looked at them like they were both crazy. "What's wrong with that?"

Ali cracked up, "You honestly wouldn't mind seeing Emmett and Rosalie smooching? What are you? A perv?" Edward let out a bark of laughter, but Jasper kept his face serious.

"Ali, don't talk like that." he said.

Alice rolled her eyes and got up out of the chair. "Jasper, you are such an old crab!" She stuck her tongue out at him and went into the other room by Lynnette.

* * *

The Hales and Cullens went out for dinner after Emmett and Rose left for the prom. Edward, Jasper and Alice didn't want to go out, so they ordered a pizza and watched a movie. Edward went home after the movie, but Jasper persuaded Alice to stay behind to watch another one with him. Alice laid on the couch. Jasper put in the movie and walked over, lifted her feet and set them in his lap as he sat down. She looked at him with a frown. "You know, there are a bunch of other places to sit. You don't have to sit with me all the time. I'm not gonna' slip into another coma, or something. Geeze! You are gettin' on my nerves."

He watched her face as she read him the riot act. He knew she was tired of him babying her, but he couldn't help it. If she had died, it would've been his fault. He couldn't even imagine life without her. What the hell had he been thinking to leave her to go out with Savannah? "Ali? I know you are tired of me watching over you all the time, but I can't get over the fact that you could've died, okay? I lo... you mean a lot to me. I just want to spend time with you."

"Okay, Jasper. I understand. You mean a lot to me, too, but please try not to be so bossy, okay? It really bugs me. I'm supposed to be spreading my wings and exploring my womanhood." She said spreading her arms out and grinning at him. "Not being watched over by a crabby old man all the time."

Jasper growled playfully and tickled her feet. "A crabby old man, huh?" She squealed and tried to kick her feet free. "I'll show you crabby!" He crawled over her and tickled her sides.

She gasped for air between squeals, "No! Jas! No more! I... can't... breathe!" He stopped tickling her and looked down into her face, his eyes darkening. She giggled and looked up. Her eyes widened when she noticed his expression. He saw the fear in her eyes, but he started to lower his head any way. She frantically pushed on his chest, "Jas! What are you doing? Get off me!" She looked desperate and he backed off. Climbing off of her, he looked back over his shoulder. She looked scared and puzzled as she pushed herself into a sitting position against the corner of the couch. She looked up at him, "Jasper? Why did you do that?"

He couldn't believe that she really didn't remember all that had happened between them over the last couple months. The doctor said that sometimes brain injuries cause memory loss, but he also said that some patients suppress painful memories, too. He had caused her pain, but would her brain suppress the memories like that? "Sorry, Ali. I was just trying to scare you." He gave her a half-hearted smile.

"You're such a jerk! You really did scare me!" she whipped a pillow at his head. He laughed, and tossed it back at her.

"Sorry! Still wanna' watch the movie with me? I'll sit way over here." he said, walking over to one of the easy chairs.

She nodded, "Okay, but don't do that again."

* * *

"Jasper! You are not carrying me home!" Ali screeched, exasperated. She stomped her foot, crossed her arms and glared at him. He glared right back, towering over her by a good foot. If he wasn't so mad, he'd have grinned 'cuz she looked so cute trying to stare him down. "I am capable of walking, you know?"

He stood blocking the door. "If you can get passed me, you got no problem."

"Jasper Logan Hale! You are not my brother! You think you are! But you're not! You have nothing to say about what I do! Get out of my way, right now!" Ali hollered. She looked so mad, he almost started laughing, but then she swayed slightly on her feet. She put her hand to her forehead and gasped. Jasper was instantly on his knees in front of her. "Ali? Are you okay?" She grinned at him and put both hands on his chest and shoved him over on his butt. She sprinted out the door and down the sidewalk before he knew what hit him, laughing all the way.

Jasper shook his head. "Did that just happen? That little devil!" He jumped to his feet and took off after her. She screamed bloody murder when he scooped her up and ran around to the back of his house with her. He took her to the alcove behind the garage and pressed her up against the wall. "You think you're funny, do you?" he growled into her laughing face.

"You should've seen your face, Jas!" Ali gasped. "Oh my God! It was so funny!" She was trying to catch her breath and looked up into his face. "Oh, Jasper! Don't be so serious all the time! I'm fine!"

"The doctor said you shouldn't run! Damn it, Ali! Why can't you behave?" he ground out.

"Jasper, I am fine! I've been home almost two weeks! I don't need you watching me, or carrying me, or feeding me, or... or... anything! I'm so tired of you growling at me all the time! Why don't you find something better to do?" she cried.

He caressed the side of her face and looked into her eyes. "There is nothing better to do than watch you, Ali."

Her eyes got wide and she tried to push away from him. "Jasper! What is wrong with you? You've been so weird!"

He backed up a little and gave her a searching look. Finally, he said, "Don't you remember what we did the last time we came back here?"

She looked puzzled, and said, "Um, hid from Emmett?" she guessed.

"You really don't remember?" he asked.

She shook her head, "What did we do, Jas? Was it important? I'm sorry I can't remember."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated. "Well, it was important to me..., but, let's talk about it later, okay? Right now, I'm taking you home." He picked her up and carried her across the yard to her house, her kicking and hollering the whole way.


	28. Second Chances

28.

Second Chances

"Maybe it's for the best, Jas." said Rosalie, looking over at her younger brother lying on her bed. She'd been sitting at her desk studying for finals, when he had come in, asking to talk. "All you're going to get, if she does remember, is her mad at you, again. Just be glad that she's all right, and be patient."

"I suppose." he said, dejectedly. "If she never remembers, at least I might get a fresh chance. If she ever does remember, I suppose I'm sunk anyway." He turned over on his stomach and looked over at Rose. "How long have you and Emmett been going together?"

"A couple years, why do you ask?" she looked at him again.

"Well, I can't believe that I never knew. You were always together, I just assumed you were just, you know, best friends, or whatever."

Rose smiled. "It's always been that way, ya' know? Me and Emmett. From as long as I can remember. Oh, he'd run around with you and Edward, but he'd always come back to me. He'd check on me and make sure I was okay and happy. Even in school, if we didn't have class together, he'd find a way to be with me, even for a minute." She smiled fondly, remembering. "It just came natural. One day, when we were in eighth grade, he asked me if he could kiss me. We've been together ever since."

"So it's okay with mom and dad, and Esme and Carlisle, for you to date?" Jasper asked.

"Well, we never asked permission, if that's what you mean, but, yeah, they seem okay with it. It's like it was meant to be. Almost, you know, like they had us for each other. I know it sounds weird, but I can't explain it any other way. You know, destined from birth?" Rose laughed. "Okay, now that sounds just a tiny bit dramatic, huh?" They smiled at each other. "Seriously, it's never really been discussed. It just... is." She shrugged.

"Didn't Dad ever tease you guys about going out, or anything. You know, like he's always teased me about marrying Ali?" Jasper wondered.

Rosalie chuckled. "No, but, then again, Emmett and I were never obsessive like you two. You may not remember, but that little girl would just look at you and you would bend over backwards to make her happy." She shook her head, smiling, "From the day they brought her home, you were besotted. You actually stayed awake all night, her first night at the Cullens, in case she needed you. You weren't even three years old, yet! You would give her anything. Your crayons, your cookies, toys, juice... whatever. Sometimes Esme couldn't even get Ali to take a nap unless she could fall asleep on your lap." Rose rolled her eyes. "Jas, you were five years old, and you'd just sit there with her in your lap until she fell asleep. She bossed you around like you belonged to her, until... well, until she was about six or seven. Then, everything changed."

"That's when the girls at school started really being mean to her." Jasper added.

"Yeah. She just seemed to lose all of her confidence. The next thing we knew, you were the one in charge and you've been bossing her around ever since." She smiled gently at him to take the edge off when he winced. "It's not a bad thing to want to protect someone you care about, Jas, especially someone as small and seemingly helpless as Ali was, but there comes a time when you gotta' back off a little, ya' know? Just try and let her have some space."

"I just feel so guilty! If I hadn't planned to go out with Savannah that night, Ali never would've gotten hurt, and her and I would be happy right now." sighed Jasper, rolling over onto his back again.

"Jas, you don't know that! How many times have I gotten after Emmett for throwing Ali to you? He just doesn't think sometimes. It may've happened any way."

"No! I would've caught her if she hadn't tried to grab onto Em. I've never missed! You didn't see her face, Rose." Jasper sat up on the bed. "She didn't want me to catch her." He looked down sadly. "She wouldn't even talk to me. In fact, she came into the house to avoid me in the first place. The only reason I came in was because I heard her scream. All I could think about was... _being_ with Savannah. I didn't care if I hurt Ali's feelings." He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm such an ass."

"Jas," Rose said kindly. Jasper looked up at her, his eyes swimming with tears. "You're fifteen years old. Give yourself a break, okay? Guys a lot older than you make worse mistakes. Just try and be the best person you can be, and learn from your mistakes. That's all anyone can do."

Jasper got off the bed and walked over and gave his sister a tight hug. "Thank you, Rose. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby brother." she grinned at him. "Back off of Ali a little and it'll work out, okay?"

Jasper nodded and left Rose to her studying.

* * *

Alice went back to school for finals, but someone took her and picked her up every day. No one wanted to chance her taking the bus. Usually, whoever picked her up, brought Edward and Jasper home, too.

The last Friday before eighth grade graduation, Emmett and Rose came to get them in Rose's Camaro. It was beautiful out, and they decided to take the kids for ice cream and a walk by the lake. Edward and Jasper squeezed into the back with Ali between them, and Rose put the top down and even let Emmett drive. They had the radio blasting and were having a great time. At the beach, Emmett chased the girls and threatened to throw them in the icy water. They shrieked and giggled and ran from him. The more they shrieked, the more he laughed. Pretty soon, Edward and Jasper joined in. Edward caught Alice and held her up, "Who wants this one?" he called as she giggled and kicked. Emmett caught a screeching Rose and said, "I got one, too!" Jasper laughed, "Bring 'em over here and I'll throw them in the _cooold_ water." Which set them off screaming even louder as the boys dragged them over by Jasper. By the time they were all together, everyone was laughing so hard, all they could do was collapse on the sand. The sun shone and the wind blew warmly, whipping their hair around. They all looked at each other and grinned.

"Can you believe you guys are graduating from eighth grade already next week?" Rose asked Edward and Jasper.

They both shook their heads. "It'll be weird, but I can't wait for high school." said Edward.

Jasper looked at Alice. "High school will be cool, I guess, but I'll miss our... friends, at the middle school." Alice smiled at him.

"Yeah," said Emmett. "It's not cool having to leave some friends behind, but we live in a small town so it's pretty easy to keep in touch. Besides, you'll see Brent and Bella when you practice, and, of course, Ali Oop, here, every day at home." Alice giggled as he tickled her, long strands of ebony hair blowing in her bright, laughing eyes. Jasper couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked at him with a puzzled frown before he recovered, smiled and looked away.

"Well, I guess we better get you guys home. I suppose you have band practice, huh?" Rose asked, standing up and brushing sand off her pants.

"Naw, actually, Brent and Bella have some family thing tonight, so we aren't practicing until tomorrow." Edward said.

"Oh. Well, you guys want to go to the drive-in, or something?" asked Emmett, looking to Rose for approval.

She nodded, "That would be fun! What do you say?"

"Cool!" said Jasper. "Do you know what's playing?"

Emmett shook his head. "I'll look online," said Rose, pulling out her phone. "Ooh! Iron Man 2 and the new Nightmare on Elm Street."

"I hope you guys don't mind," interjected Edward. "but I have some stuff I wanted to do at home tonight."

"That's okay, Edward. No one _has_ to go." Rose said, starting back to the car. "It's just so nice out. It would be fun to do something." Looking at Alice, she asked, "What about you, Ali? You feel like going?"

Alice looked worried. "Um... Iron Man would be great, but I'm not so sure about Elm Street."

Jasper bumped his hip against her and smiled. "Hey, I'll be there if you get scared. I'll even sleep on your bedroom floor if you want, in case you have nightmares. Come on!" he pouted, giving her pleading puppy dog eyes. "Waddya' say?"

Ali looked at him, thinking, when Emmett said, "Yeah! We could double. I'll drive my Jeep and you two can sit in it, and Rosie can drive her car and we'll sit in there. That cool with you, Rosie?"

Rosie looked at Jasper's hopeful face and sighed. "That okay with you, Ali?" Ali still looked a little worried, but she nodded. "Sure, I guess."

She looked toward Jasper and then Emmett, who both grinned at her. "It'll be fun, Ali! You'll see." said Emmett. "It'll be like a real date."

"I'll even buy you some popcorn." laughed Jasper.

"Okay." Alice said, somewhat reluctantly. She looked at Rose for reassurance.

Rose smiled and put her arm around her. "It'll be okay, Ali, I promise."

* * *

Emmett pulled his Jeep in the spot next to Rose's Camaro. He and Jasper were laughing. Rose got out of the car. "Did you see that... guy's face?" Emmett asked her, cracking up.

"No! What happened?" asked Rose, smiling at him.

"The guy thought that Jas and I... were together." He stopped to try and catch his breath. "I told him, 'if the Jeep's a rockin', don't bother knockin'!', and I wiggled my eyebrows at him... Oh my God! I almost lost it... right there." He turned and punched Jasper in the arm. "Someone started giggling like a little girl, though."

Jasper was gasping for breath, "Emmett! You.. are so... bad! That guy... was... totally homophobic! I swear... you almost... gave him a heart... attack!" Jasper looked over at Ali still sitting in Rose's car, his eyes sparkling and pushed the hair off his forehead. "Ali! Your brother is terrible!" He called to her. She smiled at him, shyly, and looked down at her hands. "Hmmmmm..." he thought, "what's up with that?" and, still grinning, looked back over at Emmett. "Just... be gentle with me, big guy... okay?" he quipped, which sent Emmett into hysterics again and had Rose shaking her head at him, a huge smile on her face.

"Jasper Hale! Do not feed his sick mind! If you know what's good for you, that is! He only uses it for evil! Never for good!" She looked at the two of them and her heart melted. They were both looking at her with big, dopey grins on their faces, like two little boys with their hands in the cookie jar. "All right, Mr. Cullen! You owe me some popcorn! Let's go!" She dragged Emmett out of the Jeep. "You guys want to go with us, or wait until we come back?"

Jasper looked over at Alice. "You want some popcorn, Ali? Or a hot dog, or something?"

She shook her head, "Not right now, thank you."

He glanced at Rose and raised his eyebrows. "She's nervous." Rose mouthed. "Because of me?" he mouthed back. Rose shrugged, nodded her head in Alice's direction and grabbed Emmett's hand, dragging him towards the concession building.

Jasper got out of the Jeep and walked around to Alice's side of the car. She kept her head down, looking at her hands. "Ali? You okay?" He asked her. She nodded her head, but wouldn't look up. He knelt down so he was even with her open window. "Ali? How come you won't look at me?" She shrugged her shoulders. He raised his eyes to the sky, "God! She's so frickin' cute!" he thought with a grin. "Are you scared of me?" he asked gently.

"No!" she said so softly he barely heard her.

"Then why won't you look at me?" he asked, again.

"I don't know." she whispered.

He reached over and, with his fingertips, gently lifted her chin. Her dark blue eyes were huge in her face and her cheeks were a delightful pink. Her lips were dark red and soft from chewing on them and her fingers were twisted in her lap. She had changed into a gauzy, light blue sleeveless blouse with lacy edges around the neck and arm openings. Her hair was soft and flowing around her shoulders with a light blue headband holding it back out of her eyes, and she had on a flirty, little white skirt and white Keds. "You sure look pretty tonight." he told her.

Her cheeks got even pinker and she looked down again. "Thank you." she said. He couldn't help it, he grinned and a chuckle escaped his lips. Ali looked up quickly to see what he was laughing at. He was looking right into her eyes, a huge grin on his face.

"Ali, you cannot tell me that you are actually feeling shy with me. It's just me. Jasper." He said, trying to set her at ease.

"Emmett said it was a date." Ali said softly, looking down. "I've never been on a date." She looked up shyly, "Is it a date, Jas?"

He smiled. "If you want it to be." She looked down again, the blush spreading down her chest. "I'd like it to be." he added.

"Okay." she whispered. He stood up, opened the car door and put out his hand. She wouldn't look back up at him, but she put her hand in his and let him help her out of the car. He wrapped her tiny, cold hand in his big warm one and, closing the car door, led her over to the Jeep.

"Can I get you some popcorn or a Coke before the movie starts?" he asked her.

She shook her head, "No, thank you." she whispered, keeping her eyes down.

He grinned above her head. He'd never seen this side of Alice before. She was so frickin' adorable that he wanted to grab her up and squeeze her. He thought of all the times they had made out behind his garage. She hadn't seemed shy then, but he really hadn't given her the chance. He'd pretty much just pounced on her. "Of course," he thought with a frown. "She doesn't remember that." No wonder she was so awkward. This was all new to her. "This is the way it should've been." he thought. "An innocent date, shy smiles, and me being a gentleman." He was glad he was getting a second chance, but he really wished he hadn't screwed up the first time. Well, he was going to enjoy it just as she was, like the past had never happened.

He opened the Jeep door for her and helped her up. Shutting the door, he went around to the driver's side and got in. She was still looking at her hands on her lap. He adjusted the radio to the movie's audio station and sat back. "I heard that Iron Man 2 is pretty good. Do you remember when we saw the first one?" He asked her, trying to make conversation.

She looked up with a slight smile of relief, "Yes, I remember. We went with our dads, Rose, Emmett and Edward. It was really good! And I liked the way he saved those people."

"Yeah! And he had that thing in his chest instead of a heart. Like a nuclear battery, remember?" he smiled at her.

"Oh yeah! And, if he took it out, he would die. I saw the previews for this one on TV. It looks even better than the first one! Scarlett Johansson is in it, too. I remember you and Edward said that you thought she was really pretty."

"She is really pretty, but not as pretty as you." he couldn't resist saying, hoping for the exact reaction he got. She looked back down at her lap and blushed a bright pink.

He chuckled, and she said, "Jasper! Don't say stuff like that!" He didn't say anything, and she finally looked up at him again.

"Why not? It's true." he told her.

She shook her head. "It's not, but it's sweet of you to say."

Jasper bent his head to hers, making her keep eye contact with him. "I've thought that for a long time, Ali. It's not something I'm just saying. To me, you are the prettiest girl I've ever seen. I'd like us to be more than friends, if that's all right with you."

"Jasper!" she gasped, eyes wide. "We can't!"

"Why not?" he asked, watching intently for her reaction.

"Well... our families... we're like... sisters... I mean, brothers... Oh! You know what I mean!" she looked up at him desperately, embarrassment staining her cheeks, even in the fading light.

"Rose and Emmett are." he said.

"Are what?" She looked scared.

"More than friends."

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, and looked back down at her lap.

"Ali? Do you think of me as one of your brothers?" he asked her gently. "If you do, it's okay. I can be happy with that. Do you? Think of me as a brother?"

She didn't move for a minute and then slowly shook her head. He grinned, he had her now. He remembered all the times she had told him that he wasn't her brother.

"But you still like me, don't you?" he gently probed.

She nodded her head, so he said, "Do you think you could like me more than a friend? If we spent some time together, just me and you?"

She looked up, perplexed. "But Jasper, we already spend a lot of time together, just me and you."

"Well, do you like when we do?" he asked. She looked so serious that he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at her.

"Yes, I do." she finally answered.

"Well, it'll be no different then. We'll just be spending time together like always. Okay?"

She looked up at him and gave him a big smile, "Okay." she agreed.

Satisfied with that for now, Jasper looked around the outdoor theater. He saw Rose and Emmett walking back towards them, Emmett's arms full of snack containers. He grinned and patted Ali's arm and pointed. Ali sat up straight and looked out the windshield. She cracked a smile and giggled. "You know none of that is for Rose, right?" Jasper nodded and they both laughed. They looked at each other and shared a smile. Jasper felt lighter than he had in almost three months as he gazed at the girl he loved.

* * *

The lights came up and Ali stretched and looked over at him. "Did you like the movie, Ali?" Jasper asked her.

"It was good! What about you?" she smiled.

"It was good! Better than I expected." He smiled back.

"Why was it better than you expected?" she said, with a light frown between her brows. "Didn't you expect to like it?"

"Oh, I knew I'd like it, but sequels aren't usually as good as the first one, ya' know?"

She nodded. "I suppose that is true. There are a lot of exceptions, though. Like those Twilight movies, I heard the third one is going to be even better than the second one, and, I thought the second one was better than the first. And what about Harry Potter? Those just keep getting better and better!"

"For sure! I just don't want to go in with super high expectations and then, the movie totally blows! I hate that!" he theorized.

"I see your point." she accepted.

"You hungry, or need to use the bathroom?" Jasper asked, and Alice looked down and turned bright pink.

"Okay!" he chuckled. "Let's go then!" He took the keys out of the ignition and got out. Coming around to Ali's already opened door, he lifted her down and escorted her to the Ladies' room. "Can I get you something while you're... uh... busy?" he asked.

"Some popcorn, please?" she requested softly. He grinned and saluted her. She giggled and went into the bathroom. Jasper got in the concession line to wait his turn. He chose a huge tub of popcorn, one extra large Coke and a big box of Mike and Ike's. He paid and was walking back toward the restrooms when he saw Tom Justen standing there.

"Hey, Tom! How's it going?" Jasper called. He hadn't seen him since his younger sister, Kristy's party. The night he had gotten a blow job from Savannah. He cringed slightly at the memory.

"I'm good! Done with finals and ready to party the summer away!" he crowed.

Jasper laughed. "Glad to hear it! Me, too. We even got some gigs set up for our band."

"Very cool!" approved Tom. "I hear you guys are pretty good!"

"Thanks! Well, I'll probably see you on Tuesday. I _c_an't wait until it's over. Those damn graduation gowns are gonna' be so hot over a suit."

"Well, don't wear a suit, then!" Tom grinned.

"Yeah! That'll go over well with the parents." he smirked. Just then, his eyes widened as he saw Savannah come out of the bathroom and walk up to them.

"Hey, Jassy! Long time, no see!" she giggled. "I'm so glad to hear that Ali is all right. Pretty scary, huh?"

"Yeah, it was. Sorry, I never called you. I... uh... broke my phone and was stuck at the hospital for like, a week." He looked up and saw Alice standing there, her eyes downcast. "Ali! You remember Savannah, don't you?" He pulled her forward.

"Hi, Savannah. Hi, Tom. You guys here together?" Alice asked politely and gave them a little smile.

"Yeah!" Tom said, putting his arm around Savannah. "I met Savannah at my sister's party and then ran into her at one of our baseball games."

"Very cool!" Jasper smiled. "I'm glad you two hit if off!"

"We sure did!" Savannah cooed, looking up at Tom.

"Well, it was great to see you both! Enjoy the rest of your night!" Jasper called, as he started to lead Ali away.

"Oh! We will!" Tom called back with a wink, and escorted Savannah to the concession line.

Jasper looked down at the top of Ali's head. She was still looking down and held herself kind of stiff. When they got back to the Jeep, Rose's car was empty and he was glad he had thought to take the keys. He unlocked Alice's door and helped her in. He walked around and got in, setting the snacks down. He looked over at Ali. He could make out her face perfectly in the bright spotlights that were on during intermission. She was sitting stiff with her hands in her lap and her face was pale. "Ali? I'm sorry if you were upset seeing Savannah. She doesn't mean anything to me. I don't mean anything to her, either. I'm glad she's found Tom. They fit good together." She just sat there and didn't move. He sighed. "Ali? What's the matter now?" he said a little impatiently. She looked up at him and her eyes were swimming with tears. "Ali! What is it?" He cradled her face in his hands. "Please tell me!"

"I want to go home. Now." she stated, sternly. "Go find Emmett." She angrily wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Okay, Ali." He took his hands from her face. "But you have to answer one thing for me first. Why are you upset? That's all I want to know."

"You're a jerk! That's why I'm upset. I never told you that you had to stay at the hospital with me. Not once did I ask you to stay. Not once! In fact, I asked you why you wouldn't go home, and you told me you were staying until I went home. It was your own guilt that stuck you there! Not me!" The tears were flowing freely now and she was shaking, she was so mad.

Jasper looked dumbfounded. He had no idea what she was talking about. "Ali. I wanted to stay at the hospital with you. What are you talking about?"

"You told Savannah that you didn't call her because you were _stuck _at the hospital for a week. You could've left any time you wanted to! I never cared if you were there, or not." she ground out. "In fact, I wanted... _I want... _you to leave me alone!" She grabbed one of the napkins Jasper had gotten at the concession stand and wiped her cheeks, trying to calm down. She didn't want to upset Emmett.

Jasper smacked himself in the forehead. "God! I'm such an idiot!" He banged his head on the steering wheel a couple times before leaving it resting there. He finally turned his head to look at her. "Ali, I swear I never meant it that way. I stayed at that hospital with you because I wanted to. Not because I felt guilty or felt I had to. I... I... ugh!" He sat up and ran his hand through his shaggy hair. "Look! I didn't want to say this until you felt more comfortable, but, I love you, Ali. I stayed with you because I couldn't stand the thought of losing you and, I thought that, if I stayed there, I could keep you with us by sheer force of will. I read to you, brushed your hair, listened to music with you, Hell! I even painted your toenails! Don't think Emmett didn't give me shit for that! But I didn't care! I just wanted you back! That's all I cared about!"

She gazed up at him in awe. "Really? I didn't know." she uttered, looking ashamed. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I can imagine what you must've felt when you heard me say that." he looked at her, kindly. "I just meant I was stuck without my phone and no way to call her. In reality, I never even thought about calling her, not once. But I didn't want to be mean and tell _her_ that." He waited a minute, then asked gently. "Do you still want me to go find Emmett?"

She was looking down at her lap again. She shook her head in answer to his question. He smiled, at least he'd never be bored.

They both looked up as the spotlights dimmed. Emmett and Rose were still gone, he noticed, and a lot of cars had left during the intermission. The lights went completely dark and, as the second movie started, Alice brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She propped her chin on her knee and peeked up at the screen, ready to duck down in case she got scared. He laughed to himself. If they had been at one of their houses, she probably would've crawled on him by now, but, here, out of her element and on a scary _date_, she just sat there trying to be brave. He wondered what she was thinking. Suddenly, she jumped and brought her chin down behind her knees, barely peeking over their tops. He could see that her eyes were wide open and she appeared to be trembling. but it was hard to tell for sure in just the dim light from the dash. He tried really hard to concentrate on Ali, and not the fact that her skirt was bunched up where her thighs met. He could even see the very edge of her white, cotton panties. He knew if he shifted slightly forward, he would be able to see way more than she'd want him to, but he forced his mind away from those thoughts.

"Ali?" he said quietly. She jumped violently and looked at him like she forgot he was there. "Do you want to sit with me? The seat is plenty big enough for both of us." She nodded and he opened his arms. She got up and crawled over the console and into his arms. He settled her next to him and wrapped his arm around her. She _was_ trembling. "Are you cold?" He asked.

"A little." she whispered. He reached behind the seat and pulled out the old comforter Emmett kept there. He pulled it over them and tucked it in.

"Better?" He smiled at her slight nod and kissed her on the forehead. He looked at the screen and gasped. "Whoa! That guy looks just like Emmett except with blonde hair!"

"He does!" Ali exclaimed. "That's so weird!" She smiled at him. "Do you think Freddie's gonna' get him?"

Jasper cracked up. "If he does, I feel sorry for him when Rose gets a hold of him!" They laughed and he hugged her to him. She sighed and snuggled into him. He grinned, all was right with the world.

* * *

Jasper made his way down to the kitchen, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He hadn't slept very well thinking all night about snuggling with Alice and her white panties. "Ugh!" He banged his head against the fridge. "I have to stop thinking like that!" He opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of juice. Taking a long swig, he heard laughing and screaming. "What the heck?" He walked to the patio doors and looked out. There was his mom and Esme opening the pool. They had pulled the winter cover off and set up the filter already. He saw Emmett's head bob out of the water, a huge smile on his face. Then, up bobbed Rose and Ali's heads, too. "Damn! They must be freezing." thought Jasper with a shiver. He had on sweat pants and a T-shirt, so he walked out the back and over to the pool.

"Hey, Jas! Come in! The water's fine!" Called Emmett, laughing.

"Yeah! I can tell by your blue lips, Em!" Jasper called back, a smirk on his face.

"Are they really blue?" Emmett asked, his face serious with concern. "Come make sure, I don't want to catch pneumonia."

"Ha! My mama didn't raise no fool! Sure! I'll come over there so you can splash me or pull me in! Not!" He laughed at Emmett's crestfallen expression. The girls cracked up and their peals of laughter set Emmett in motion again. Soon, he had them both, one on each shoulder, threatening to dump them under. Jasper noticed that Ali's lips were blue, too, and that she still had her old bathing suit. Her newly formed curves were attempting to spill out the top, and she was definitely cold, pointedly cold. He groaned. "So much for not thinking about Ali like _that_!" he thought.

"All right, you three. Time to get out!" called Lynnette. "We still live in Wisconsin, after all, and it is not even June, yet. I know that water is freezing!" Despite their protests, she was adamant, and they crawled out onto the warm, concrete surrounding the pool, squealing and shivering. Esme handed them each a towel and Jasper thanked God he was able to keep things down in his shorts until Alice was safely wrapped in terry cloth. She glanced at him, shyly and he grinned at her.

The drive-in had been fantastic! They had worked out some shit, seen two cool movies and snuggled in the blanket feeding each other popcorn and candy. He even coerced a good-night kiss out of her. A chaste good-night kiss, but a kiss from Ali, was still an awesome kiss. He had ridden home with Rose feeling like a million bucks. They had talked the whole way home and he felt like he really had a handle on what he was doing this time. Emmett and Alice had followed them home, of course, and Emmett had come over for a couple more good-night kisses once he got Ali safely in their house, but Jasper had gone straight to his room. He figured he'd go right to sleep, he was feeling so good, but then he just laid there thinking. He wanted to call or text Alice, but he was going to play it safe and take it slow this time.


	29. One Busy Day

29.

One Busy Day

Edward was standing in his parent's bedroom being fussed over by his mom, while his dad looked on.

"I can't believe we are done with Middle School! This is gonna' be the best summer ever!" exclaimed Edward, grinning at his dad and yanking at his tie, again.

Esme reached up to fix it, again. "Mom! No one cares if my tie is perfect, or not."

"I care, Edward. Now, hold still for a minute. There, that's better. Now, leave it alone." She looked him over with satisfaction.

"It doesn't look any different than it did a few minutes ago." Edward commented, looking in the mirror.

"Edward Anthony! Are you trying to be difficult?" Esme glared at him, "Because this is a very important day and, if you are going to ruin it by being hard to get along with, maybe you can pass on band practice for a few days until your attitude rights itself again."

Edward looked over at his dad with an imploring look, then back down at his mom. "I'm sorry, Mom. I guess I'm just nervous."

She smiled at him, "I know, it's not every day a boy graduates from… eighth grade." Her eyes filled with tears and she turned away, sniffling.

Edward rolled his eyes and looked at his dad again, who was grinning. He was enjoying Edward's torture way too much. Finally, he said, "Esme, My Heart, he looks perfect, how about if we wait downstairs for you now?"

"Okay, My Love, I just need to fix my make-up again."

The boys left the room and Edward grimaced at his dad, "Thanks for saving me! God! Why does she do this every time there is some kind of event? Geeze! You'd think I was moving a thousand miles away, or something."

Carlisle laughed. "Women are just emotional, Son. You might as well get used to it!" and he clapped Edward on the back as they went down the stairs.

Jasper and Emmett were waiting in the living room. Jasper looked over as they came down the stairs. "Your mom, too?" he said, rolling his eyes.

Edward nodded. "I wish this day was over already! They are going to drive us crazy!"

Carlisle chastised them with a frown. "Your mothers have given their whole lives for you boys, it doesn't hurt you to give them one day. Besides," he grinned. "you know this ceremony isn't really for you guys, anyway, right? Oh, by the way, Edward, you better grab a box of Kleenex."

Both boys groaned, and Emmett and Carlisle cracked up.

* * *

The ceremony was a little boring, but everyone was happy about how it went. The boys had beamed when they were called up to get their certificates, and Lynnette and Esme had taken tons of pictures, and cried, of course. Emmett and Jackson had whistled and cheered, and even Carlisle had let out a couple of 'whoo hoos'.

"The Hens outdid themselves today, huh?" laughed Jackson, as he, Carlisle and Alice walked toward their cars. "They were worse than when Em and Rosie graduated eighth grade. Geeze! I can't wait to see them when it's Ali's turn, and just wait until High School graduations start!"

Carlisle grinned, "They sure did turn on the waterworks! Ha! They even had Rosalie dabbing at her eyes!" They both chortled at that and Alice rolled her eyes. "Boys were annoying at every age." she thought.

She looked across the parking lot at Jasper. He was talking to Edward and a couple of their friends. He looked so handsome in his charcoal suit, white dress shirt and Jade-colored tie. She sighed. She just didn't know what to think of the way he had been acting lately. He was always looking at her with a strange expression on his face. It made her very nervous and she found herself avoiding him, especially when no one else was around. She had enjoyed the drive-in last weekend, but not until after she had gone to sit with him. They had snuggled under the blanket and joked around like they always did, and she had felt comfortable, but as soon as the movie credits started rolling, he had changed again. He had looked at her with that strange expression and had actually kissed her on the mouth. It had been real soft and quick, but it had embarrassed her and she didn't know what to say after that. She hated feeling that way around him. She had given him a little smile, taken the blanket and gone back to her own seat. He had started to say something to her, but she had seen Emmett and Rose walking back to the car from the concession area, and had interrupted him with relief. She couldn't help but wonder now what he had been going to say, but, at the time, she had panicked. She hadn't been alone with him since, and she didn't plan on being alone with him again any time soon.

Jasper listened to Edward, Kristy and James talking about some of the parties that were being held tonight. He was so aware of Alice standing with their dads across the parking lot. She had been as skittish as a feral kitten around him for the last four days and it was starting to piss him off. Rose had given him some good advice on the way home from the drive-in, but Ali's avoiding him, hadn't given him much of a chance to try any of it.

He was trying to be patient with her, but she acted like they were strangers. He got that she was young. He even got that she was confused and that parts of her memory were still messed up, but it wasn't like they hadn't known each other her whole life. He snapped back to the conversation when he heard his name.

"What do you think, Jas? Should we hit Lauren's party, or pass?" Edward asked him.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "She can be so annoying, but if that's where everyone else is going, I guess it'll be cool."

"Awesome!" said James. "She can be a pain, but she has the best parties! I heard she invited some high school kids and they're bringing beer. Plus, a lot of those high school girls she knows are pretty freaky, ya' know what I mean?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"James!" squeaked Kristy. "Please! Not in front of me, okay? Yuck!"

The boys laughed. "Sorry, Kristy!" James apologized, sheepishly. They had known Kristy since Kindergarten and she was a good friend.

She grinned and said, "Okay, change of subject. You guys playing baseball this year?"

All three of them nodded. "We've already started practice." said Edward.

"Yeah, last Thursday was our first meeting. We go on regular schedule starting the end of next week." added James.

"That's cool! My friends and I love coming to your games. Oh! That reminds me!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking at Edward. "I heard Emmett's going to state!"

Edward nodded. "Yeah! They won the regionals and go up state next week. My mom's taking us all up there. It'll be a blast!"

Emmett walked up to the group. "Hey, dudes! And dudette!" he added with a grin, spotting Kristy.

They all greeted Emmett and congratulated him on going to state. He chatted for a minute and then told the boys, "Our moms sent me to get you guys. I guess we're going to dinner now."

"Oh. Well, we'll see you guys at Lauren's then." Edward said to Kristy and James, and he and Jasper waved and followed Emmett over to their families.

Jasper's grandparents were here, so they had ridden with his parents and Jasper had ridden with the Cullens and Edward. Rose had driven her, Emmett and Alice. Jasper saw Alice getting into the back of Rose's Camaro, so he quickly walked over and jumped in behind her. She looked at him with wide startled eyes and, scooting over, looked desperately out the window for Rose.

"Are you avoiding me, Ali?" he asked her softly, looking at her, his green eyes intense.

She looked scared for a second, but then tried to cover it with indignation. "No! I didn't even know you were behind me!" She went rigid, stuck her nose in the air and looked out her window.

"I thought you had fun at the drive-in." he said.

"I did!" She looked back at him. "I didn't say I didn't."

"Well," he said, gently. "you haven't talked to me since then."

"I... I've been busy." She defended herself, and turned back toward her window.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "You can't get rid of me that easily." and chuckled when he saw her shiver and then resume her rigid pose. He relaxed against the back of the seat and just watched her. He knew she was aware of his every breath. He grinned and loosened his tie. He took in her shiny, long hair. She wore it in loose curls today with a white comb holding it off of her face. She had on a floaty-looking white dress with little cap sleeves and a round neckline. It came to just above her knees and she had little white flats on. She looked like a ray of sunlight. He smiled at that cheesy thought and then started thinking how he'd like to pull her into his arms and kiss the breath out of her. She'd probably scream her head off and run. He grinned, evilly. He didn't want to torture her, but he wanted her to deal with him, not keep hiding from him.

Rose and Emmett got into the car and Rose was surprised to see him there. She took in Alice's stance and gave him a pointed look. He just shrugged. He wasn't going to let Rose make him feel guilty, or help Ali hide from him, either. Rose sighed and started the car.

Alice didn't think she'd be able to eat. She wished they would just let her go home. She didn't know why Jasper was doing this to her. He said he wanted to hang out like they always did, but he didn't act like he always did. He just stared at her and said strange things all the time. She missed him. She sighed, maybe if she just kept away from him for a while, he would forget whatever was making him act weird and he'd act normal again.

"Ali?" She turned her head when she heard her name. "You comin'?" She looked up to see Emmett looking at her from the open door. They were at the restaurant already. She had been so lost in thought, she hadn't even noticed Jasper get out of the car. She smiled at Emmett and let him help her out of the car. As she got out, she noticed Rose and Jasper walking ahead, talking intensely. Jasper looked angry and, for the hundredth time that day, she wished she could go home.

"Here's little Ali! How are you, Darlin'?" Jasper's grandpa asked, grabbing her for a hug as she walked in the door with Emmett.

She grinned and hugged him back and smiled. "Hi, Papa Mitch! Sorry, I didn't get to see you earlier."

"That's okay, Sweetie! I know you gorgeous girls take longer to get ready than these ugly boys do." He sniggered at his joke, elbowing Jasper who was standing next to him. "It's definitely worth the wait though, ain't it boy? She's sure growing into a beautiful young lady, hey?"

Ali felt her face burn as Jasper gave her a mocking look, "She sure is, Gramps."

"Well, where's yer manners, young un'?" He said, giving Jasper a little push. "Escort the young lady to the table."

Jasper held out his arm with a big grin and Ali took it reluctantly, all her hopes of sitting far from Jasper dashed. She let him lead her to the large table where their families were chatting and finding their seats. He pulled out a chair for her and she murmured her thanks as she sat. She waited for him to make some outrageous comment, but was shocked when he just walked away and took a seat next to Edward. She let out a sigh of relief, but then felt a slight sense of loss. "What the heck?" She was so confused.

Dinner went better than Alice expected. She sat between her mom and Jasper's grandma and enjoyed their attention and conversation. She was even able to eat almost all of her dinner and found that she had been starving. When it was time to go, Jasper went with Edward in their parents' car and she went back with Rose and Emmett. She wondered what he was up to, but he never said or did anything more. When they got to the house, he just went home to change to go to a party with Edward and his friends.

* * *

"Ali? It's Jessica!" Jessica practically screamed into the phone.

"Hi, Jessica!" laughed Ali.

"Guess what? My mom said I can have a couple friends over tonight since we don't have school tomorrow! Will you come?"

"I thought Lauren was having a party tonight." Ali said.

"She is! That's why my mom said I could have a sleep over! So I would stay out of Lauren's hair!" Jessica laughed. "Say you'll come! Please!"

"Well, I don't know..." Alice hesitated. She knew Lauren would look for any opportunity to humiliate her if given the chance. "What if Lauren sees me?"

"Come on! We'll be upstairs. She'll be too busy to worry about us. Besides, my mom will be here and Lauren won't dare do anything with her here." Jessica cajoled her.

"Well... okay..." conceded Ali. "I'll make sure it's okay with my mom."

"Call me back if she says no," Jessica told her. "But, Ali, please try to talk her into it. We'll have so much fun! It starts at 7:00. That way you'll be there before Lauren's party starts at 8:00. Okay?"

"Okay!" Ali chuckled. "I'll be there. What should I bring?"

"Just yourself and some cute pajamas!" Jessica squealed. "I've got pillows and blankets and snacks, so you should be good!"

"Thanks, Jess! I'll see you in about an hour, then!" Ali laughed at her enthusiasm and hung up. She went downstairs and found Esme in the kitchen. "Hey, Mom! Whatcha' doin'?"

"Hi, Sweetheart!" She turned to Alice, smiling. "I'm gonna' make some cookies for the hospital bake sale. Wanna' help?"

"Well," Ali started, biting her lip. "I would, but I was wondering if I could go to Jessica's tonight? She's having a sleep over and asked me to come."

"Ali! That's wonderful!" Then her face fell a little. "Um... what about Lauren? You know her mom and I have talked many times, but that doesn't mean she won't be unkind to you."

"Well, Jessica said that she's having a graduation party tonight, so we'll be upstairs and Lauren will be busy downstairs, so she won't bother me." Alice told her.

"Okay, and Jessica's mom is going to be there?" Esme questioned.

"Yep! Jess said she'll be there all night." Ali confirmed.

"All right, but make sure you have your cell phone in case you need me to come get you." cautioned Esme.

"I will, Mom, but I'll be fine." she assured herself, as well as her mom.

Esme drove Alice to Jessica's house a little while later. Alice was trying to stay calm, but, inside she had butterflies the size of bats. She had never slept over a classmate's house before. She had packed her bag, shaking with excitement. She brought her cutest P.J.s, her toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, clean clothes for morning, her iPod and her phone. She hoped that was all she'd need, but it was only one night, so she was sure she'd be fine.

When Esme pulled into Jessica's driveway, Jess came running out. Alice kissed her mom goodbye, grabbed her bag and jumped out of the car. Jessica was chatting a mile a minute and gave Ali a big hug.

"I'm so glad you could come, Ali!" Jessica squealed. "We're gonna' have so much fun! Everyone else is here already. Come on!"

Ali waved to her mom and followed Jessica into the house. Directly inside the front door, Jessica came to a stop. "Lauren! What do you want?" Jessica groaned. "Mom told you to leave us alone."

"I just thought I'd say hi to Alice." Lauren said, with a bright smile. "It's good to see you, Ali. I'm glad you decided to come."

Ali looked at her suspiciously. "Um, thank you, Lauren." She followed Jessica up the stairs, aware of Lauren watching her.

"Have fun, girls!" Lauren called after them.

Alice let out a sigh of relief when they got to Jessica's room. The other two girls there, Janice and Stephanie, were already friends of hers, and they immediately started chatting and giggling.

Lauren was downstairs when she heard the doorbell. She was ready for a great party and her mom was gonna' hang out on the deck with a book so she could still chaperone, but not bug them. Everything was perfect. She only had one more detail to work out, but she had to make sure one other person came to her party first. About ten minutes later, Lauren felt a huge smile cross her face as she saw Jasper and Edward arrive. Now, all she had to do was arrange the last detail. She rubbed her hands in glee. She didn't know why she enjoyed torturing Alice Cullen so much, but she did. It was paybacks for keeping Jasper from asking her out, she guessed. Either way, she was so looking forward to her plan.

* * *

"Ali! Oh my God!" squeaked Jessica. "Do not tell Brent I said that! Promise me!"

Ali laughed. "What will you give me if I don't tell?"

Stephanie interjected, "She'll give you their first-born!"

All four girls broke out in giggles. Alice was having so much fun. She was so glad that she hadn't been too afraid of Lauren to come. They had changed into their Pajamas and given each other manicures. They took turns picking songs on Ali's iPod to listen to, and they were getting ready to put a movie in. They couldn't decide if they wanted to watch '17 Again' or 'The Tooth Fairy' with the Rock. They had all seen '17 Again', but Zac Efron was so dreamy, they could watch it over and over again. The Tooth Fairy was new and none of them had seen it, but, even though the Rock was hot, he was old.

"Let's watch '17 Again' first, then we can watch 'The Tooth Fairy' later." suggested Stephanie.

"Yeah! I gotta' get me some Zac time!" declared Janice.

With a plethora of giggles, Alice and Jessica agreed, and they put the movie in the DVD player and settled down to watch. Outside the bedroom door, Lauren listened with a grin. She just had to think of a reason to get Alice downstairs. Maybe if she asked her and Jess if they would help her for a minute, she could get her alone afterward. Alice was always willing to help someone out, she didn't think she'd refuse. Lauren knocked on the door, and opened it enough to stick her face through.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Mom is busy and she said to ask if I could get a couple of you to help me?" She smiled, sweetly. "It'll just take a minute."

Jessica got up off the floor, "Okay, what do you need?"

"Well, I need, probably two of you, to help me carry some stuff into the dining room. You know, snacks, and stuff." Lauren looked at Alice.

Alice looked wary, but she stood up, too. "I'll help." she offered.

Lauren smiled, "Thank you, Ali! I really appreciate that!" Lauren took in what she was wearing. "Perfect!" she thought, with an evil chuckle.

The two girls followed Lauren down the stairs and into the kitchen. She handed them some trays of different snacks and directed them to take them into the dining room. She followed with cups and plates. They made a few trips before everything was set up and Lauren thanked them. "Oh! I forgot! Jess, would you run down to the basement and get the bag of ice out of the freezer, please? I'll show Ali how to get back to your room on my way to set out these last things."

"Okay," Jessica said, and headed for the basement door.

"This way, Ali." Lauren beckoned. Alice followed without a second thought. Lauren set the last two trays on the dining room table and went into the other room. "Do you mind if I ask you for one more thing?" she said to Alice, with a big smile.

"Um, no, that's okay." Ali gave her a tentative smile.

"Right this way." She went to a door and opened it. It led to a large storage closet. "See that box up on the top? I can't reach it. If I lift you, do you think you could reach it?"

"I'll try, but I'm probably too heavy for you." Alice informed her.

Lauren looked her up and down as though she was judging her weight. "Hmmmm, maybe. Do you mind if I ask someone else to help us then?"

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "No problem."

"Okay. I'll be right back." And she hurried out the door. Alice waited and soon heard voices approaching. "Thanks so much for your help." she said to someone. Alice's eyes widened when Jasper came into view. He looked surprised to see her.

"Ali? What are you doing here?" he looked down and noticed her skimpy summer pajamas. The top was a thin, silky, cotton tank and the bottoms were very short satin boxer shorts. He could tell that she didn't have a bra on and probably not any underwear, either. "And what are you wearing?" he asked.

"I'm here for a sleepover with Jessica, and these are my pajamas." She answered in a huff at his condescending attitude. "Lauren asked me to help her for a minute."

Jasper looked at Lauren. "What do you need me for?" he asked her.

"See that box on the top shelf? Ali and I can't reach it ourselves. I thought that, maybe you could lift her up so she could grab it for me." Lauren gave him a soft smile. "I'd really appreciate it."

Jasper sighed. "All right. Come on, Ali." He walked into the closet and lifted her up. Just as she was about to grab the box, Lauren turned off the light and shut the door. "Damn it! I knew she was up to something!" he exclaimed.

He still held Ali up by her waist. It was pitch black in the closet and he could feel her trembling. "Hang on, Ali. I'll find the light as soon as I set you down." He began to lower Alice when he stumbled over something and tightened his hold on her. Her butt was pressed into his groin and he cursed when he felt her accidentally rub against him. Just then, the door flew open and the light made them squint.

"Here he is!" Lauren said, then she gasped. "Jasper! What are you two doing?"

Jasper saw Edward standing just behind her and a group of other people behind him. Jasper knew it looked bad. His hands were spread out over Ali's torso and her butt was jammed up against his crotch.

"What the hell! Jasper! Are you making out with my sister?" Edward growled.

"No! Of course not!" he ground out, embarrassed. "She's just a little kid! I was helping her get something off the shelf and the door closed." Even to his own ears, it sounded lame. He couldn't believe he fell for one of Lauren's tricks to humiliate Alice. He knew the more he protested, the guiltier he'd sound. He released Alice and set her away from him and turned to Edward. "God damn it, Ed! You know I wouldn't!"

Edward's face was scrunched up in anger and his eyes were furious. He grabbed Jasper by his shirt and pulled him out of the closet. "Do I? It sure looks like that's what you're doing!" he yelled in his face.

Jasper pushed him away. "Get outta' my face! It was a set-up! Don't be stupid!"

Edward pushed him back. "Now I'm stupid? I'm not the one in a dark closet with my hands all over my half-naked little sister! You have sex with Savannah and now you think you're gonna' hit on my sister?"

Several people gasped and Jasper turned beet red. "I'm gonna' kick your ass, Edward!"

"Try it! You pervert!" Edward yelled, taking a swing at him.

Jasper ducked and aimed a punch right at Edward's jaw. His head snapped back and he lunged at Jasper with an angry shout. The two boys went down, arms and legs flying, while Alice just stood there with her mouth hanging open, Lauren caught her eye and gave her a triumphant smile. She looked around at all the leering faces and wanted the floor to swallow her. She was trembling violently and her head began to hurt. There was no where she could go with everyone blocking the closet door, and she slumped to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. The boys continued to roll around on the floor, punching and kicking each other, and, finally, some of their friends pulled them apart. Ali looked up and saw that they both had blood on their faces and Edward's eye was beginning to swell. "Keep your hands off my sister, asshole!" he snarled.

"I wouldn't put my hands on your sister if she was the last girl alive, dick head!" Jasper growled back. Ali put her head on her knees and began to rock back and forth. Jasper broke away from being held and stormed out of the room. Edward broke away, too, and stalked after him, yelling for him to come back and face him. Mrs. Stanley came in and said, "If you boys are going to fight, take it outside! There will be no fighting in the house!" and she followed them to the front door.

Alice heard Lauren laugh, "I knew it! I knew all along that she must be whoring for him. No one is that close unless they're screwing." Alice moaned into her knees and felt like she was going to throw up.

* * *

"Ali?" she heard Jessica say softly. "Ali, are you okay? I'm so sorry!" Alice finally looked up. Everyone was gone from the doorway and Jessica was kneeling next to her with a distressed look on her face. "I should've known she was being too nice! I'm so sorry, Ali! I swear I didn't have anything to do with it!" She put her hand on Alice's arm. "Can I help you up?"

Alice nodded, and Jessica helped her stand. She swayed on her feet for a second and Jessica led her up the stairs to the bathroom. Alice sat on the toilet as Jessica got her a cold washcloth. It felt so good on her burning cheeks and the nausea finally passed. Jessica bent down, "Do you want me to call your mom?" Alice nodded again, and began to cry. Jessica hugged her. "I'll tell everybody that it was Lauren! I swear!"

Alice shook her head. "They all know what she's like already. It won't stop them from talking about me. I'm just glad that school's almost out and they're all going to the high school next year."

Jessica pushed the hair back from Alice's face and wiped her cheeks with the cloth. There was a knock on the door, and Jessica went to open it. Stephanie and Janice stood there holding Ali's phone. They both had concerned looks on their faces. "Ali? Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'll tell you later." Jessica answered. "Is that Ali's phone?"

"Yeah," Stephanie handed it to her. "It was ringing so we came to find you. Is Ali okay?"

"Not really." said Jessica, taking the phone and giving it to Alice. "Lauren played a trick on her in front of everyone."

"Oh no!" Janice gasped. "It's all right, Ali! Everyone knows Lauren is a bitch."

"Yeah, the only reason she has any friends at all is because they are afraid she'll be mean to them if they don't kiss her butt!" Stephanie agreed.

"You better check your phone, Ali. It could be important." reminded Janice.

Alice checked and saw her home number on the called ID. "It's my house." she said. "I better call them back."

Alice heard someone pick up. "Ali?" her mom said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." she said with a small sniff. "Did Edward come home?"

"Yes. He is quite upset as you can imagine." Esme sighed. "Do you want me to come get you?"

"Yes, please." she answered. "And Mom, it was a trick."

"I know, Ali. The boys know it, too. It just took them a while to figure it out." confirmed Esme. "Where was Jessica's mom while this was going on?"

"She was out on the deck. She didn't know that Jessica and I were downstairs, though. She came in when she heard the fighting, but she didn't know what happened." Alice assured her.

"All right. I'll be there in about ten minutes. Get your stuff." Esme said.

"Okay, Mom. Thanks." Alice closed her phone and looked at the other girls. "My mom's coming. I need to get my stuff."

Jessica took the washcloth from her and hung it up. The other two girls helped her up, and all four of them went back to Jessica's room. "I really am sorry, Ali!" Jessica cried. "We were having so much fun. I hate my sister! I never should've trusted her."

"It's okay, Jess." Alice told her. "I know it wasn't your fault. Next time, we'll have the sleepover at my house. Okay?" She threw her stuff in her bag and changed back into her clothes.

Samantha and Janice gave each gave her a hug goodbye and Jessica went downstairs with her. Lauren and her friends were in the living and dining rooms, so they snuck past them in the front hallway and went out the front door. Esme pulled up and Jessica gave her a big hug. "I really am sorry, Ali." Jessica said again.

"I know." Ali smiled at her. "It's okay." And she got into the car.

Esme looked at Alice with a pitying expression. "I'm sorry, Ali. I never should've let you go over there. I don't know why that girl is so mean."

"I don't know, either, Mom, but Jessica is my friend, despite the way her sister treats me, so I don't want you to make a big deal about it with their parents, please?" Alice begged, tears still running down her face.

"I already talked to her mom on the phone. I called over there when you didn't answer your phone. She is going to have everyone go home and Lauren is grounded for a month. She said she was going to go check on you, but I told her I was coming, so she said she would wait until after we left to clear everyone out of the house. She was genuinely upset that her own daughter acts that way. Your dad thinks she needs to send her to a good shrink!" Esme said, angrily.

Alice giggled through her tears. "Lauren would make the shrink need to see a shrink."

Esme chuckled. "I'm glad you're taking this so well, Ali."

"Well, I didn't at first, but Jessica and the other girls are really sweet and made me feel better. I'm not looking forward to seeing Edward or Jasper, though. They just left me there in the closet!" She admitted.

Esme looked over at her. "Well, as you can imagine, they are both pretty upset. They were yelling at each other in Jasper's front yard when Jackson heard them. He came out and calmed them down and then they came over to our place. They and your dad all had a talk and found out what happened. Of course, your dad and Jackson wanted to come straight over to get you, but I talked them out of it. I figured you'd had enough humiliation for one night."

"Oh God!" Ali groaned. "Thank you, Mom! I would've died, for sure!"

Esme reached out and patted her hand. "It's okay, baby. Everything is fine, now. Maybe the girls can come over one night this weekend and you can try again, huh?"

Alice grinned. "That would be great, Mom! Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, dry your eyes so we can face your fathers... all four of them!" She and Esme laughed and Alice wiped her face.


	30. Slave for a Day

**Author's note: Even though Ali's memory is still spotty, she remembers who Savannah is, and the drive-in was, in fact, their first official date. Before she got hurt, Jasper never took her anywhere because he wanted to keep it a secret that he and Ali liked each other. All they really ever did was hang out and make out behind the garage. Not very romantic, huh? LOL! **

30.

Slave for a Day

Esme pulled into the garage and saw that Jackson and Carlisle were waiting for them. Alice groaned, and Esme gave her a sympathetic look. "Hang in there, Angel." she said, patting her hand.

They got out of the car and the men started talking over one another to see if Alice was all right and to get her version of what happened. Finally, Esme put her hand up. "You know what, Ali has been through enough tonight. You two, back off! Come on, Ali." and she led Alice into the house while Jackson and Carlisle stood there with their mouths hanging open, and closed the door on them.

Alice just gaped at her mom. She couldn't believe she had just dismissed them like that! "They are too overbearing tonight. If they still want to talk to you, they can do it tomorrow." She looked at Alice and grinned at her expression. Alice grinned back, her eyes sparkling.

"You hungry, Angel?" he mom asked her.

"No, thanks, Mom. Can I just go to my room?" Alice asked, hopefully.

"Yep! Your other _fathers_ can wait to talk to you until tomorrow, too! If they would've been looking out for you instead of fighting, Lauren's plan wouldn't have worked so well!" She shooed Alice from the kitchen. "Come on. I'll escort you safely to your room."

As they passed the living room, she could see Jasper and Edward sitting on the couch. They both looked over and stood up abruptly when they saw her. Before they could say anything, though, Esme put a stop to it.

"No! Not tonight! She's been through enough! You two should be ashamed. Fighting like that instead of looking after Ali! You just left her there for that little witch to humiliate further. Some big brothers you are." And, with that, she and Alice went upstairs.

Ali giggled when they got to her room. She wrapped her arms around her mom, "Mom! You're so awesome! Thank you!"

Esme hugged her back and grinned. "Sometimes, you just have to remind them whose boss. Sleep good, sweetheart. See you in the morning."

* * *

Alice snuggled in her bed wondering how tonight would've turned out if Lauren hadn't been her usual mean, nasty self. She had been having so much fun with her girlfriends!

"I have girlfriends!" she thought and hugged herself.

It had been so fun giggling together and doing their nails and talking about boys. She had really enjoyed herself and she smiled, remembering. Then she frowned. She just didn't understand why Lauren hated her so much. She picked on other people, she was too mean not to, but she especially enjoyed torturing her. She would just have to remember to never trust her, ever!

Then her thoughts turned to Jasper. The things he said to Edward about her being a little kid, and that he wouldn't touch her if she was the last girl on earth, had really hurt! And then, Edward had announced to the whole senior class that Jasper had had sex with Savannah! She just couldn't believe he had said that! There was no way she could go to school on Thursday! What was everyone saying about her? Either that she was having sex _with_ Jasper, or that he would _never_ have sex with her? She didn't know which version she preferred! And Jasper had sex with Savannah? Ewwwwwww! There was no way she was ever going to talk to him, let alone let him touch her, again! Things were such a mess!

Ali heard a little tap on her door. "Oh no!" she panicked. "Please don't let it be Jasper!" She just could not face him tonight! He had said some really unforgivable things to Edward, and she was already tired of the whole issue. She couldn't believe it when her mom had hushed them and wouldn't let them get near her earlier. She had hoped they would just let it go for tonight.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's me, Short Stuff!" Emmett said.

"Come in, Em!" she called again. Emmett opened the door and came in with a big grin.

"Hey, Ali Oop! Rough night?" he asked her.

"You could say that." She laughed.

"Seriously, you okay?" he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I'm fine, Em. Really."

"That's good. I know it was bad, Ali. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Lauren is one girl I wouldn't mind pummeling!" he gritted his teeth.

"Em, she is a mean, nasty person and she will suffer for it in the end." She put her hand on his arm. "Thank you for caring, though. You are the best big brother a girl could have. I mean that!"

He pretended to wipe a tear away, "Aw, Ali! You're making me cry!" Then he grinned and pulled her into a big, bear hug. "Thanks, Short Cake. I try!" He rolled his eyes and set her back on the bed. "You wanna' go somewhere with me and Rose tomorrow since we don't have school?"

"Yes! Where?" she practically bounced in excitement. Not only would she get to spend the day with Emmett and Rose doing something cool, she wouldn't have to face Jasper.

"I don't know. Rose said we could go down to Chicago to one of the museums, or we could go into Milwaukee. I'll talk to her and we'll figure it out."

"That would be awesome! Thanks, Em! Please, just wake me up in time to get ready in the morning."

"I will. Love you, Munchkin." he kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you, too, Emmett." she smiled in pleasure.

* * *

"Ali? Wake up, Shorty Pie. It's time to get ready." Emmett shook her gently, again.

She sat up, rubbed her eyes and gave him a glorious smile. "Mornin'!"

He chuckled, "Mornin', Bright Eyes! You goin' with us, still?"

"Yes, please!" she said, eagerly, jumping out of bed. "I'll be ready in twenty minutes!"

"Okay. We'll leave in thirty. How's that?" he rumpled her hair.

"Great!" she grabbed her bathrobe and went to take a shower.

Alice came bouncing down the stairs twenty-two minutes later. She was so excited! She couldn't wait to see where they were going. When she didn't find Emmett in the living room, she skipped into the kitchen. Esme was sitting at the table working on some papers.

"Good morning, Mom!" sang Ali.

"Good morning, Ali. You're chipper this morning." Esme smiled at her.

"I'm just excited! I can't wait to find out where Rose and Em are taking me!" she chirped, getting her self a glass of juice. "Do you know?" she looked at her mom.

"Yes, I do, but I'm not telling!" she grinned.

"Mom! You're so mean!" cried Ali, but she was grinning from ear to ear. "By the way, thanks for saving me from the dads and the boys last night. It was a relief not to have to go through all that with them!"

"You're welcome, and I agree. It's wonderful having so many people love you and want to protect you, but sometimes, it's just too much! When you are already upset, the last thing you need, is to be interrogated!" she frowned. "Especially by four guys all talking at once!"

Alice rolled her eyes, "I know! I think I was more afraid of having to go through it with them, than I was actually going through it!" She chuckled and hugged her mom. "Well, will I totally love where we are going today?"

"I think you will, but, if you decide you don't want to go, don't feel obligated, okay?" Esme said mysteriously.

Alice frowned, "Um... okay."

Emmett came busting into the kitchen. "There you are, Ali Oop! Ready to go?"

"Yeah, but can you tell me where we are going, yet?" she asked him.

"Nope! Not until Rose gets here." His eyes twinkled.

"She's coming here? You're not picking her up?" Alice questioned.

"Nope!"

"Oh, okay. I assume we're taking your Jeep then." Alice grinned.

"Yep!" He laughed outright.

"Do I need to bring any money?" she asked.

"Nope!"

"Should I wear comfy shoes?" Ali tried to get more information.

"Yep!"

"Do we need to pack a lunch?" she continued.

"Nope!" he cracked up at her efforts.

Ali smacked him on the arm. "Emmett! You're terrible!"

They heard Rose at the front door, "Any Cullens here who wanna' go have a good time today?" she called from the front door.

Alice ran out to greet her and stopped dead when she saw that she had Jasper with her. Now she knew why her mom had said not to feel obligated.

"Sorry, Ali." she said. "I have to take him with me today. My dad doesn't want him home alone after last night. He's in trouble."

Jasper stood there kind of slumped with his hands in his pockets. He looked at her with shame and regret all over his face.

"Oh." She was so disappointed, and she looked at the floor. "No offense, Rose, but would you mind if I didn't go with you today, after all?" Alice asked, in a soft voice.

"Ali!" Jasper gasped, and Alice looked up at him. "You won't go because I'm coming?" He actually looked like he was in pain, and her heart ached.

"I'm just not ready to talk to you yet." she told him, frowning. "You said some hurtful things, and you just left me there with _her_!"

He looked ashamed. "I know, Ali. I am so sorry! I didn't mean what I said. I was just trying to make everyone see that nothing happened." His face became aggravated. "I couldn't believe that Edward didn't see what Lauren was up to! He knows what she's like!"

"You left me there! Both of you just left me there!" she accused. She wrapped her arms around herself remembering the humiliation. "They were all staring at me and Lauren said terrible things. You just walked away and left me!"

His face twisted, and he started to reach out with his hand. "Ali... "

She flinched away and looked at Rose. "I'm sorry, Rose. I just can't."

"What if I make him be your personal slave all day? He'll have to do everything you say, and he won't be able to talk or do anything until you give him permission?" suggested Rose, with a grin.

Alice considered, and then returned her grin. "That could be fun." she thought. Then she looked at Jasper again. He had a worried frown on his face as he looked between the two of them. "Could you abide by that, Slave Jasper?" Ali asked him. "I give you permission to speak."

Rose burst out laughing and Jasper scowled.

"What's so funny?" Emmett asked, walking up to them.

"Jasper has to be Ali's slave all day and do whatever she says. He can't even talk unless she says it's okay." Rose giggled.

Emmett grinned as he took in Jasper's expression.

Well, Jasper?" Ali prompted. "You haven't answered me."

He scowled at her and stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. Rose looked at him. "I guess I'll just have to tell Dad that he wouldn't cooperate. Too bad. He really wanted to be able to go to State Finals with Emmett next week, too. Tsk, tsk. And the band won't get much more practice before the Fourth. Too bad."

He glared at Rose. "Yes. I'll cooperate." he said grudgingly. Rose pointed to Alice. He looked over at her, his scowl back in place.

"You may call me Princess Ali today." Alice told him, loftily, and then spoiled it by giggling. Rose and Emmett laughed, and Rose gave him a pointed look.

"Yes, _Princess Ali_. I'll cooperate." he grumbled.

Alice giggled, again. She was going to love this! She looked him over. He looked so cute, all scowling and crabby. He had on a light green oxford shirt that showed off how tan he already was and his sun-streaked hair hung down into his angry green eyes. He looked like a petulant child who hadn't gotten his way. She giggled again and his lips quirked a little and his eyes began to sparkle, but he didn't let the scowl fall from his face. Ali's heart skipped and she realized he was starting to enjoy this. She would make sure he didn't enjoy any of it. Call her a little kid and say that he wouldn't touch her if she was the last girl on earth, would he? He'd pay big time if she had anything to do with it!

Alice practically rubbed her hands together and the gleam in her eye promised retribution. Jasper swallowed and began to feel a little nervous again.

* * *

Jasper sat next to Ali in the back of Emmett's Jeep. It was all he could do not to grin. Ali had looked so damn cute when she was thinking of ways she could torture him today. He really felt bad about what he had said to Edward last night, but it hadn't really been about her personally. He knew that, because he would touch her anytime, anywhere, if he could. He also definitely did not think of her as a little kid. It was all he could do to remember that she was still so young when he was with her. She did strange things to his insides and he'd do anything just to spend the day with her.

He stole a glance over at her. She was relaxed against the seat softly singing along to the radio. She had blue jeans on and a cute little peach blouse with puffy sleeves and a cinched waist. Her hair hung loose down her back and blew around her shoulders in the breeze from the open windows. She had twisted her bangs and the front section of it into a braid that hung off to the side of her face down into the rest of her hair. Her skin was showing a golden tint from the sun and her cheeks were a dusty pink. He watched her lips move as she sang the words to the song. They looked so soft and plump. He had the overwhelming urge to press his own to them, but didn't dare with Emmett in the car. Plus, she'd probably punch him. He'd have to really watch himself today. He really did want to go to the State Finals, but he mainly wanted to go because Ali was going. He also wanted to make it up to her for what he said at Lauren's, and, most importantly, he needed to keep on with his plan to make her his, again. He could live without sex for as long as he had to, if he could just be with Ali. He would never be that selfish again.

* * *

As soon as Alice figured out where they were going, she let out a gasp of joy. She absolutely loved the Milwaukee Zoo! She bounced in her seat as Emmett found a parking spot. Her eyes shone with happiness and Jasper found himself grinning at her. They got out of the Jeep and Alice skipped ahead to the entrance. She turned to wait for them, dancing from foot to foot. When they reached her, she flung her arms around Emmett's waist. "Thank you! Thank you!" Then she gave Rosalie a big hug, too. "Thank you! This is going to be so fun!" Emmett and Rose smiled at her enthusiasm, and followed her through the entrance. Jasper pouted, he wanted a hug, too, but he'd have to earn his, he guessed.

"Where should we go first? Should we just start walking? Should we go right? Maybe we should go left! If we go right, we'll get to the gorillas sooner, but, if we go left..."

"Ali!" Rose cut her off. "Calm down!" Alice stopped talking and looked at her. "We have all day. Let's just enjoy it, okay?"

Alice took a deep breath and grinned at her. "Sorry, Rose!"

Emmett grinned, "That's our Ali!"

Rose rolled her eyes and looked back at Jasper. With a wink at him, she sang, "Oh, Slave Jasper! I think Princess Ali needs someone to hold her hand while we walk to help keep her calm." His eyes lit up and he smiled at her. Now he understood why she had told their dad that he should have to come with her today. She was helping him.

"Yes, ma'am." He walked over to Alice and presented her with his arm. "May I escort you, Princess?"

She looked a little apprehensive, but then took his arm and said, "You may."

They decided to walk to the right so they could see the gorillas sooner. It was a beautiful day, not too hot, but warm enough where the breeze blowing off of Lake Michigan wasn't too cold. Alice chattered and smiled as they made their way around the zoo. Her excitement was contagious, and they were all having a great time. Emmett acted like a gorilla in the gorilla house and Rose quipped that you couldn't tell which was the real one and which was Emmett. Of course, he pouted for a little while, but the twinkle in his eye betrayed him and soon, Rose had him in hysterics. Alice forgot all about making Jasper pay for his words the night before, and just enjoyed herself. She did, however occasionally remember that Jasper was her slave for the day, and would admonish him for talking without permission or set him to some trivial task.

"Oh, Slave Jasper?" she would call, and then request he do some silly thing for her, like show her how the spider monkeys picked fleas off each other, because she couldn't quite see from where she was. He got into the game and began pretending to pick fleas off of Emmett's back and put them in his mouth. This got him wrestled to the ground by Emmett and the two of them rolled around like a couple of idiots, much to Rose and Ali's delight. They got up grinning and pushing each other, their faces all flushed and their hair messy.

Right before lunch time, they reached the Polar Bears and Alice jumped up and down in elation. You could watch the bears swim from above, or you could go below and see them underwater through windows in their habitat. She absolutely loved watching them. She could sit there for hours. They were so graceful for being so big! She skipped down to the underground observation area and sat on one of the benches, her hands clasped to her chest, eyes glowing. Jasper followed her and sat down next to her. He couldn't take his eyes off her. All morning he had just been fascinated by her happiness. Making her happy was like a drug to him. The happier she got, the higher he felt. She turned to him, "Aren't they beautiful, Jasper?"

"Yeah, Ali, they are." he answered.

"They are so graceful in the water. I just love watching them!" she sighed, turning back to watch the bears.

"Princess Ali?" he whispered, still looking at her.

She turned toward him, again, with a questioning look. Before she could protest, he took her face in his hands and touched his lips gently to hers. He kept his eyes open to see what her reaction would be. She looked startled for a second, then her thick, sooty lashes fluttered closed and she sighed against his mouth. He let their lips cling together for another few seconds and pulled back. She kept her eyes closed briefly and then they took a minute to focus on his face when she opened them. She blushed and smiled shyly at him and he felt his heart burst in his chest. He smiled at her and stroked her cheek with his fingertips. "I'm having a great time with you, Ali."

She looked down and blushed down her chest. "I am, too, Jas." she said, breathlessly.

"Ready to go have some lunch, Princess Ali?" he rose from the bench and bowed to her, offering his arm.

Alice giggled and took his arm. "Lead the way, Slave Jasper." And they went to find Rose and Emmett.

Emmett bought them all sandwiches, fruit, potato chips and juice, and they sat in the grass and had a picnic. They chatted and joked and just enjoyed the sunshine. When Jasper was done eating, he laid back in the grass and closed his eyes. The sun was warm and the breeze was cool and he swore he could fall asleep right there. He heard Rose whisper something and Alice giggle and he smiled, this was the best day of his life.

He felt a little tickle on his shoulder and cracked one eye open. "Slave Jasper, you are needed by the Princess." Rose said, looking down at him.

He jumped up, "Yes, Queen Rose." and obediently went to Alice. "How may I be of service, my Princess?"

Alice gave him a flirty look, "I find I am tired, Slave Jasper, and require you to feed me grapes."

He rolled his eyes and bowed, "As you wish, Princess Ali." He sat back down on the grass and began to feed her grapes. He fed them to her faster and faster, until she had a mouthful and started laughing. "Be careful, Princess. I don't want to have to use the Heimlich on you." She grinned at him and he cracked up when he saw her mouth was still full of round green grapes. "Do you need help with those, Princess Ali?" he asked, then he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers again. He deepened the kiss and sucked several of the grapes out of her mouth. He opened his eyes to see her staring at him. He pulled back and grinned, showing the grapes in his own mouth. He heard a grunt and his head whipped around to look at Emmett. He forgot that he was here. Emmett was glowering at him.

"Um, Jas? Are you sure you're telling the truth about what happened in that closet?" he asked him, trying to stay calm but still glowering.

Jasper swallowed the grapes with a gulp, and nodded. "I swear, Emmett! I would never do that to Ali, especially at somewhere like Lauren's."

"Okay. I believe you, but I expect you to show her respect, always. I'll be watching." Emmett said, seriously. He looked at Rose and she was smiling at him.

"I promise! I will!" Jasper agreed. "Thanks, Emmett!" He turned back to Alice who had finally managed to swallow her grapes. "Ready to see the rest of the zoo, Princess?" he asked her.

"Yes! I think the elephants are close by. Come on, Jas!" she tried to pull him up and he laughed at her.

"There's no way you could lift me up, Ali. Silly girl." Jasper laughed as he got off the ground. "Let's clean up this mess and go see some more animals."

* * *

The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and playing at the zoo. Ali and Rose tried to see who could come up with the most outrageous thing for 'Slave Jasper' to do, and took pictures with their camera phones. Emmet got into the spirit of the game by having Ali make Jasper ride the camel with him. Jasper was laughing so hard trying to stay on the beast, that Ali told him he was having too much fun for a slave. He gave her a proper frown for her pictures, and she was happy again. They stayed until the zoo closed and had to be shooed out of the park by security, but not before Jasper slipped into the gift shop and came out clutching a fairly large bag. They joked around all the way to the car and Emmett told Ali not to fall asleep as he lifted her into the Jeep, because they had one more surprise for her. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands, grinning from ear to ear. She could barely sit still as they drove further into Milwaukee. Emmett found a parking garage and they made their way out onto the street. Ali looked around trying to figure out where they were going.

She gasped, "No way!"

Rose looked at her and grinned. "I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out."

Ali hugged Rose. "Thank you!" Then she launched herself at Emmett, who caught her up in a tight hug. "I love you, Emmett! You're the best!"

He laughed. "I've been telling you that for years." He tightened his hug, "I love you, too, my Ali Oop. I'm glad you're happy." He set her down and she beamed up at him, taking his hand in hers. She danced all the way to the door of the restaurant they had chosen.

Jasper walked with his arm around Rose's shoulders, smiling, "His sister was pretty cool, too." he thought. "Thanks, Rose, for everything."

She smiled up at him. "Don't blow it this time." she said, smacking him in the chest.

As they walked in the door, Rose grabbed Alice away from Emmett, "Let's go freshen up." she said, leading Alice to the washroom. They used the bathroom, washed up and brushed their hair. "I know this is a dumb question, Ali, but did you have a good time today?"

Alice gave her a radiant smile. "You know I did! Thank you so much, Rose!"

"You're welcome. So, you're not still upset that Jas came along?" she questioned.

Ali looked at her suspiciously, "You planned it that way, didn't you?" she asked, the truth dawning on her. At her guilty look, Alice said, "I don't understand. Why?"

"He's so confused, Ali. He's supposed to be, like, another big brother to you, but he feels differently about you now. He doesn't want to let anyone down, like your dad, but he can't ignore how he feels, ya' know?" Rose said, trying to make her understand. "I'm the one who suggested he get a girlfriend when he asked Savannah out. I guess I should've let him work it out himself, but I thought he was just too close to you. That maybe his feelings would change once he had someone else to concentrate on. I guess what I'm saying is, please just be patient with him, okay? He's still trying to get things straightened out in his head, and everyone makes mistakes."

"Oh. Okay." Alice looked confused, that was a lot to take in. "But Rose? What does he want from me? I mean, I had so much fun with him today, but his moods change, and I really don't know what to expect."

"Well, Ali, I think he just wants to spend time with you, right now." Rose shrugged. "You enjoy doing things together, and you're both really kinda' young to make any plans for the future, yet, so, just enjoy the attention, I guess."

Alice thought about this for a few minutes. Then another thought occurred to her. She looked at Rose, not sure what to say.

"What, Ali?" Rose prompted, a little concerned by the look on her face.

"Well, Edward said that Jasper had... um, _sex_, with Savannah." She shuddered at the thought, a blush staining her cheeks. "I... he... he won't... think... I..." She swallowed. "He won't think... that _I_ should do that, will he?"

"He better not!" Rose growled. "Not if he knows what's good for him, anyway!" Calming down, she advised, "Ali, you never have to do _anything_ you don't want to do. _Ever_. If a boy pressures you into doing something you're not ready for, you tell him, 'no'! Even Jasper. _Especially_ Jasper. Sometimes guys don't think about how a girl feels. They get too caught up in how they feel and get angry when a girl won't cooperate. If they get angry with you, too bad! That's their problem, not yours! They usually come crawling back to apologize, anyway, so you have to always keep the upper hand. Okay? Does that make sense?"

Alice grinned, "Yep! In other words, don't let them boss you around all the time. Tell them, 'no', and do what you want!"

Rose laughed, "Something like that!" She gestured toward the door, "Let's eat, huh?"

The boys were waiting for them when they came out. They had washed up, too, and Jasper's hair was damp around his face. It was getting so long now, that it completely covered his eyes if he didn't push it to the side. He was standing with his hands behind his back and his face was all shiny and he had a big grin on it. Alice smiled shyly back at him and took the hand he offered.

Emmett took Rose's hand, and the hostess led them into the restaurant. Since it was Wednesday, they weren't really busy and they were seated right away. Jasper pulled out her chair and sat next to her on her right. Rose sat to her left with Emmet on Rose's other side. The table they sat at had a big grill in the center surrounded with about two feet of table area in front of them. Alice loved coming here. She had requested it for her birthday dinner last year and the whole family had come. The tables seated eight, but they had squeezed in a ninth chair, and they had had a lot of fun.

The waitress came over to them, "Welcome to Benihana. May I take your drink order?" Emmett, showing he could be a gentleman, ordered Cokes for him and Rose, Jasper ordered a Coke for himself and Iced Tea with lemon for her. She grinned at him for remembering what she ordered when she came here. He gazed at her happy face. He still couldn't believe that he had chosen Savannah over her.

When the waitress brought their drinks, she took their food orders and the four of them talked about how much fun they had had at the zoo. The chef came out after a few minutes with all of the ingredients for their dinner and began to prepare their food in front of them. They had a lot of fun joking with the chef and he did a lot of tricks for them. Jasper caught a piece of Broccoli in his mouth and Alice clapped, and Emmett tried to bounce an egg on the chef's spatula and broke it all over the grill. They laughed and the chef cleaned it up, and then proceeded to bounce an egg on the spatula eight times before expertly cracking it to use in their fried rice. They all laughed and clapped and the chef gave Emmett a hard time. The food was delicious and the company was even better. They all shared some fresh pineapple and got their picture taken before making their way back to the Jeep.

As soon as they were strapped in, Emmett started towards home. It was starting to get dark as they left the city limits and Ali yawned.

"Permission to speak, Princess Ali?" asked Jasper, with a goofy smile on his face.

"Permission granted, Slave Jasper." Alice said with a tired smile.

"Before you descend into royal slumber, I would like to present you with something." He picked up the bag he had gotten at the zoo gift shop and handed it to her. "Please accept this token of my affection for you, Princess."

She looked at him with wide eyes and gave him a beautiful smile. "For me?" At his nod, she opened the bag and squealed with delight. Pulling out a stuffed polar bear, she beamed at him and whispered, "Thank you so much!" He was too far away for a hug, so she hugged the bear to her with all her might. "It's perfect. I love it! I'll remember today every time I look at it!"

He took her hand and kissed it, she squeezed his and they held hands until Jasper finally felt hers go slack. He looked over and she was sound asleep clutching her bear to her chest. He smiled, "I love you, Sleeping Beauty." he said, in his head.


	31. Facing the Music

31.

Facing the Music

Jasper alternated between looking out the window and watching Alice sleep during the ride home from Milwaukee. He had so much going on in his head, but he felt good, like he finally had things straightened out and his priorities in order. The day had been amazing and he would never forget how much he had enjoyed Ali's enthusiasm. He remembered how infectious her happiness had been when they were little. Even then, he had needed to be in her orbit. They just seemed to migrate toward each other their whole lives. It made sense to him now, that it was supposed to be that way. He had finally given in and stopped fighting it, and it felt natural. He even had Rose and Em on his side. There were still a few things he had to figure out, but he was content with the way things were, for now. He just hoped that Ali would forgive him for being such an ass.

He looked over at her again. Even in the dimness of the Jeep, he could see how beautiful she was, and his heart skipped a beat. All he had to remember were two things, always put her first, and think with his head and heart, instead of his dick. He knew Emmett would help him with the last one, and he laughed to himself.

Emmett finally pulled into his driveway. Rose let out a sigh, she was so tired, but in a good way. She smiled over at her man and he grinned back. "Tired, Rose?" he asked her, reaching out to stroke her hair. She leaned her head into his hand and closed her eyes, nodding. "How about I stay here instead of coming over tonight, so you can get some rest? It is pretty late, anyway."

"Okay, Em. Thanks for today. It was really nice. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" At his nod, they got out of the car.

"You awake back there, Jas?" Emmett asked, opening the back door.

"Yeah! Ali's not, though." he answered, and jumped out.

"Well, I didn't expect _her_ to be." he chuckled, walking around the Jeep. "She could barely keep her eyes open when we were leaving the restaurant. It must be nice to fall asleep like that, like you don't have a care in the world." He opened the car door by Ali and took off her seat belt. Jasper started to nudge him to the side so he could take Alice up to bed. "Not so fast, Junior." Emmett laughed.

Jasper looked at him with a scowl. "I always take her up."

Emmett kept laughing, "Not any more, hot pants! Get yer butt home, so I ain't tempted to kick it for ya'!"

Jasper glowered at him, "I'd like to see you try!" He followed Emmett as he lifted Ali out of the car and tried to take her from him. "Mine!" he growled, which really cracked Emmett up.

"Not yet, young Hale! You got a lot to prove first. Now, move it!" he took his hip and pushed Jasper away from him and Alice, laughing all the while.

Rose stood by watching the two of them, a big smile on her face. "The summer should prove to be interesting, to say the least." she thought, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Jas. Knock it off. We've got school in the morning. You can sleep in, but we have to get up. You can see Ali when she gets home."

"All right," he said, giving in. "But I'll be over as soon as she gets home." he promised Emmett, with a glare, and he started across the lawn. He stopped about half way home and turned to look back, "By the way, thanks for everything, Em!" and he grinned.

Emmett grinned back, "No problem, Blondie!" and took Ali inside, Rose on his heels.

Emmett walked Rose back to her house after taking Alice to her room and leaving her in his mom's capable hands.

"Thanks for a terrific day, Em, and thanks for going along with my plan for Jas and Ali." She smiled up at him tenderly.

He smiled back, "Well, I'm not a hundred percent sure about that, yet, but I trust you, and I know Jas is a good guy, so we'll see how it goes."

Rose stretched up to meet him as he bent down, and they shared a tender kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and tangled her fingers in his dark, curls. Pulling back to look in his eyes, she said, "I love you, Em."

"I love you, Rose. So, so much." he told her. He kissed her again and reluctantly released her. "Sleep good. I'll miss you."

"You, too." she smiled, and disappeared into the house.

He crossed the lawn back to his house with a frown between his brows. He hoped they weren't making a mistake in helping Jasper be with Ali. He loved Jasper as though he were his brother, but he had been acting pretty weird, lately. The whole sex thing really bothered Emmett. He was a sophomore, and most of the guys he knew had yet to sleep with anyone. Heck! A lot of the seniors he knew were still virgins. He didn't want to have to kill Rose's brother for putting his hands on his baby sister. He sighed, "It's gonna' be an interesting summer." he thought, as he entered his house. "A very interesting summer."

* * *

"Mom, there's only four days of school left. Can I please stay home today? Please?" Ali pleaded with Esme as she was trying to shoo her out to the car.

"Look, Ali, I know it's gonna' be a hard day for you, but the longer you put it off, the harder it's going to be. I wish I could go with you and tell everyone to take a flying leap, but we both know that can't happen. Just try to make the best of it and tell yourself, 'Only four days left'." At Ali's look, she said, "I'm sorry, honey. I really am."

Ali slumped into the car in defeat. She could only imagine what all of the other kids were going to say, and do, to her. She even wore all black today, she was so bummed. On the bright side, at least the eighth graders had graduated, so Lauren and her fellow witches wouldn't be there. She wouldn't have to look around every corner for one of them to trip her or knock her books out of her hands any more.

They pulled up in front of the school and Alice made one last effort to sway her mom. "Mom... please?"

"Ali! That's enough! I feel bad enough as it is. Stop now." Esme tried to soften the blow by giving her a sympathetic smile. "One of us will be here for you after school. Try to have a good day, okay?"

"Okay." Ali muttered, giving her mom a peck on the cheek and getting out of the car. She dragged her feet up the sidewalk and stairs and entered the building, bracing herself for whatever they had in store for her.

She walked down the hall to her locker. She looked around for Brent, but he wasn't anywhere around, so she got her stuff for her first class. She shut her locker and turned, stopping abruptly when she spotted a couple of seventh graders standing there looking at her. "Uh oh! Here we go." She thought, looking toward the floor.

"Uh... hi, Ali." Tyler, a short, thin boy with reddish-brown hair said.

Alice looked up with surprise. "Uh... hi." she said, looking from one to the other.

The other boy, Sam, was about Edward's size with dark hair. He gave her a little smile, "We heard about what happened at Lauren Stanley's house. We wanted to tell you that we think it sucks that she is always such a bitch to you."

"Yeah! So many times I wanted to punch her lights out!" agreed Tyler.

"At least you won't have to put up with her for a couple years now." added Sam.

"Yeah! None of us do, thank God! Well, see you around." said Tyler as they both smiled and started to walk away.

"Uh.. thanks, you guys!" called Alice.

"No problem!" one of them called back, before they blended in with the other kids.

Alice walked on to her class. She couldn't believe that had just happened. She didn't think those boys had ever said anything to her ever before. She knew they both played baseball with Edward and Jasper, but she didn't think they even knew her name. "Strange..." thought Ali.

The rest of the morning, several classmates made comments to her about how they were sorry about what Lauren had done to her and how they hated Lauren. She couldn't believe it! Not one person had been mean or made fun of her. In Advanced English class, she sat alone since Jasper was out for the summer already. Except for her and three other kids, who were seventh graders, the classroom was empty. The teacher told them they could read or get a laptop, so she surfed the web for the hour. As she walked into lunch afterward, Jessica was waiting for her.

"Ali! How are you? I wanted to call you yesterday, but my mom told me to wait until today. Are you okay?" she said, anxiously.

"I'm fine, Jess! Thanks for asking, though." Ali smiled at her. They walked over to their usual lunch table and sat down.

"You know, my mom made everyone leave the party after you left. My sister was so pissed! Oh my God! It was too funny! My mom won't let her out of the house for a month!" she laughed. "I just love it!"

Alice laughed, too. "I guess it serves her right! She shouldn't be so mean! It's bad karma!"

"I know! Right?" Jessica giggled. Then she got serious. "I really am sorry, Ali. If I had suspected she was planning something, I never would've invited you over."

"It's okay, Jess, seriously. After you took me upstairs, I was fine, and I have been ever since. You know, it's weird. Not one person has made fun of me or been mean today. I don't get it. I expected name calling, pushing, tripping, you know? I have even had people tell me they were sorry she did that to me! Maybe they're all trying to make me think I'm insane, or something." She looked puzzled.

"Well, I did have a lot of people ask me what happened, so I made sure I told them _exactly_ what happened. Most people think that Lauren's a bitch, anyway, and they know that Jasper would never do that! He has always been way too protective of you to turn around and feel you up in the closet. Besides, Ali, most people think you are really nice. They'd probably be friends with you, if you let them."

"Really? I didn't think anyone cared about me one way or the other, well, except you, Steph, Jan, Brent and Bella. Thanks, Jess. I appreciate you sticking up for me." Ali got up and hugged her and Jessica hugged her back.

"What's going on?" Brent said, walking up to their table.

"Not much. We're just having a girl-bonding moment." Jessica giggled, blushing.

Alice smiled up at him, "You going to honor us with your presence since your boyfriends aren't here?"

"Ha! Ha!" Brent said, chucking her on the chin. "You are so funny! And yes, I am honoring you with my presence today. As long as Jessica doesn't mind, that is." He said, smiling at Jessica.

"Of course not! Have a seat!" Jessica said, gesturing to the empty chairs.

Stephanie and Janice came over, too. "Hi you guys!" they sang as they took their seats. "You still doing okay, Ali?" Stephanie asked her.

"I'm fine, Steph, thanks." She looked over at Brent when he looked up in surprise.

"Why? What happened, Ali?" he looked concerned.

Jessica filled him in on what Lauren had pulled. "I should've kicked the shit out of that bitch when I had the chance." Brent growled, looking at Alice, then he looked back at Jessica. "No offense, Jess."

"None taken, Brent. Trust me! I'd like to kick the shit out of her, too!" They all laughed at that.

Alice spotted Bella, "You guys mind if Bella sits with us, too?"

"Of course not! Why would you even ask?" Stephanie said, and then called her. "Bella! Bella! Over here!" Bella looked over, smiled and worked her way over to them. "Hi Bella! We saved you a seat."

"Thanks! How's everybody today?" she asked, taking her seat.

"We're cool! How about you?" asked Janice.

"I'm good! Glad school's almost done, though." Bella said, with a sigh. She turned to Alice. "I heard what happened, Ali. I'm so sorry! You okay?"

"I'm fine, Bella. Thanks. You guys are all really good friends, you know that?" she smiled around the table.

"Ali, we all like you a lot! You're super cool! We should hang out all summer and have a blast!" Jessica squealed.

"Okay!" Alice grinned. "I'd love to!"

"Yeah! You guys can all come to see us play, too, if you want." Brent tossed in.

Ali nodded, "You have to! They are so good!"

"I'd really love to come see you guys play, Brent! That would be awesome!" Jessica told him.

Samantha and Janice agreed. "Maybe you can come to one of our practices after school." offered Brent.

"And you can come to some of their concerts with me this summer! They're playing some of the fairs and carnivals around here." Ali bounced in her chair. "Then, afterward, we could hang out!"

They all agreed that would be the thing to do, and Alice sat and beamed at them all. The day was definitely turning out a lot better than she expected.

* * *

"Hey, Em! Where's Ali?" Jasper asked, bursting through the back door.

"She ain't here, loverboy! Mom took her and some of her friends to the mall. She needed a new bathing suit, or something." Emmett shoved another sandwich in his mouth.

Jasper sat at the kitchen table with him and put his chin in his hand. "Damn!" he said.

"Oh! Don't take it too hard. They'll be home for dinner and I'm sure you can stay. You do any other time." Emmett laughed at his crestfallen expression.

"It's just, I've been waiting all day! Ya' know? And she's out galavanting around the mall!" he pouted.

"I know what you mean. Rose is detailing her damn car. It ain't even dirty! She likes that damn car more than she likes me. I swear!" he drank down his milk.

"Well, at least she's here! You can hang with her in the garage, if you want. I just gotta' sit here and wait with you. It sucks!" Emmett reached over and messed up his hair and grinned. "Damn it, Em! Knock it off, will ya'?"

Emmett laughed, "You're such a pussy! Let's go play some Xbox." Jasper grinned and they went into the living room.

They no sooner got everything ready to play, when the front door opened. Jasper jumped up and turned toward it. Edward and Bella walked in and his shoulders slumped.

Emmett roared with laughter. "Oh my God! Jasper! You are so frickin' whipped!"

"You're one to talk, ape man!" he shot back. Then, in a falsetto voice he mocked, 'Oh Rose! Let me kiss your feet. Oh Rose! I'm your girly-man.' Ha! Who's whipped?"

"Yeah? Well, at least I ain't panting after no twelve year old! Ha! Ya' perv!" Emmett pushed him off the couch.

Jasper jumped up and pushed him back. The next thing Edward knew, they were rolling around on the floor. He rolled his eyes at Bella, "Want a snack, Bell?" he said, leading her toward the kitchen.

She looked at him and then back at the boys fighting. "Um, Edward? Don't you think you should try to stop them?"

Edward looked over at Emmett and Jasper. "Neanderthals." he muttered. "They do that all the time. They better hope my mom doesn't come home and catch them wrestling in the house again." Then he stopped, a startled expression on his face and looked over at the boys again. "Hey! Hey, you dorks!" he said, walking over to them. He kicked at them and yelled, "Knock it off! What the hell did you just say about Jasper panting after a twelve year old?"

Emmett and Jasper both stopped and looked at each other. Then, they both looked up at Edward standing above them. "What?" asked Emmett.

"You heard me! You know what you said!" Edward stood with his hands on his hips and glared at them both. "Would that twelve year old be our baby sister, Alice, by chance?"

Emmett and Jasper got up off the floor. "Now, Ed, it ain't like it sounds." started Emmet. "Well, um... Jas here thinks he's, uh... in love with... Ali." Emmett scratched his head and looked anxious.

Edward spun towards Jasper. "You effin' lier! You had your God damn hands all over her! What the hell do you think you're doing? She's just a little girl! Can't you keep your dick in your pants? You get a taste and you gotta' try and get it from our baby sister?" He pushed Jasper, his eyes furious. "You better keep your fuckin' hands off of her! I mean it! I'll fuckin' kill you if you touch her again!"

Emmett got between them. "Edward! Edward! Man, listen! Jas ain't gonna' do nothin' with Ali."

"How the hell do you know? You didn't see him when Lauren opened that closet! And Ali looked scared to death!" He looked back at Jasper, and tried to hit him around Emmett. "You son-of-a-bitch! Find some slut to paw! You leave my sister alone!"

Jasper was trying to keep his cool. He knew that Edward just needed to vent and then he'd calm down enough where they could talk, but it took every drop of self-control he possessed not to knock him into next week.

"Edward." Bella said evenly. "Please calm down. Why don't you let them explain before you get yourself more worked up. Ali was perfectly calm today at school. They were all talking about what happened and it didn't sound like Jasper did anything wrong."

He instantly relaxed and looked at her. "Okay. You're right, Bella." and he sat down on the couch.

"Well, I'm going to go in the kitchen to wait while you work this out. Okay?" At Edward's nod, Bella left the room.

Emmet and Jasper exchanged astonished looks before sitting on either side of him. They were speechless for a moment and then Jasper spoke. "Edward, I didn't even know that Ali was at Lauren's the other night. Lauren came and asked me to help her get something down from the top shelf of the closet. When I got in there, I was surprised to see Ali there. I told you, I just lifted her up to get the box down. That was all. I know it looked bad, but I lost my balance in the dark and almost fell. I didn't want Ali to get hurt, so I held onto her tight. That's all. It was a set-up, plain and simple. I don't even know why Lauren would pick me to use to set Ali up."

"Probably cuz Ali would trust you. Anyway, so Emmett was just aggravating you when he said you were panting after her?" Edward asked.

"Well... uh... kind of." Jasper stammered.

Edward frowned, "Kind of? That means what, exactly?"

Emmett stepped in. "Well, Eddie boy, it seems our bro here is soft on Ali. Like, he thinks he loves her, ya' know?"

"When did you come to this conclusion?" Edward ground out.

Jasper looked at Emmett for further assistance. Emmett grinned at him and shrugged. "Well, ah... a couple weeks before she hurt her head." Jasper grimaced and waited for the explosion.

"That's when you started dating Savannah! Convenient. Why'd you stop seeing her, anyway? She was more than willing, obviously. Why'd you have to start up with Ali? She doesn't even really know what you're like!" Edward looked him up and down like he was disgusting.

"Thanks to your big mouth, she does! In fact, thanks to you, the whole damn school knows by now! I didn't plan it! I broke up with Savannah for Ali! She just started, you know, putting her hands on me, and I couldn't, stop it. I tried! I kept pushing her off of me, but she just kept on. I'm not gonna' lie and say I didn't like it! It was awesome! But it's not like I'm a sex fiend now. I can control myself! Geeze!"

"Well, what are your plans for my sister, then?" Edward said, trying to stay calm.

"I just like spending time with her, just like always. I don't have any _plans_ for her. Geeze, Edward! You make it sound like I'm gonna' sacrifice her, or something." He rolled his eyes and Emmett burst out laughing. Edward scowled at him.

"I don't see anything funny about this, Emmett!" He looked back at Jasper. "You're as much a brother to me as this big lug is, Jas, but, I will mess you up bad, if you so much as break one of Ali's fingernails. So help me, God! I am not happy about this, I'll tell you that right now. But you've always had some kind of connection with Ali, so I'll keep out of it, for now, but I will be watching you!"

Jasper sighed. "Thanks, Ed. I swear, I have no ill intentions toward Ali."

"What I can't wait to see," remarked Emmett. "are our dads faces when they learn of Jasper's affection!"

"Oh, God!" Jasper groaned. "Just kill me now."

Emmett cracked up and even Edward had to grin.

* * *

Esme pulled up in front of the school to see Alice standing with a group of girls and Brent. They were all chatting and laughing, and Esme felt a lump in her throat. She was so glad that Ali had friends now. She seemed to be breaking out of her shell, finally, and Esme couldn't be happier.

Ali spotted her and waved. She said good-bye to her friends and walked over to the car. "Hi, Mom! Things went great today! Everybody was telling me they were sorry for what Lauren did to me!"

"I'm so glad, sweetie! See? Things don't always go the way you think they will! Would you want to go to the mall? I really need to get you a new bathing suit and some summer clothes now that you've finally outgrown so many of your old ones."

"That would be awesome! Can I ask a couple of my friends to come?" she asked.

"I think that would be a great idea, Ali! I could get to know them a little better this way, too." Esme agreed.

Alice walked back over to her friends. Brent declined since he was supposed to meet Bella at Jasper's for practice, but Jessica, Stephanie and Janice wanted to come, so they all called their moms for permission and then piled into the car. Alice introduced Stephanie and Janice to her mom.

"It's so nice to see you, Mrs. Cullen." said Jessica. "Thank you for not holding my horrible sister against me."

Esme laughed, "No problem, Jessica! It's nice to see you, too."

At the mall, Esme bought them all a quick snack and then they made their way to the store that Esme had in mind. The girls all helped Alice look through the bathing suits. Alice found several suits that Esme approved of, and went into the dressing room to try them on.

"How are you doing in there, Ali? Find any you like, yet?" Esme called after Alice hadn't come out after a while.

"Mom!" Alice whispered. "Can you come in here. Please."

She let Esme in and she asked Ali what was wrong. "Mom! Look! None of these suits fit my chest! They're all too small! When did that happen?"

Esme looked at her with concern, "Well, kiddo, I guess you've blossomed a little more than we thought. I guess we'll have to have the salesgirl measure you so we make sure to get the right size."

Esme had the lady come in to measure Alice and she then went back out to find Ali some suits that were similar to what she had already picked. Alice tried on a few before she found the one she had to have! Her mom talked her into picking another one, also, since a spare was always a good idea, and they moved on to find some summer outfits.

Now that Alice knew what size she needed, her and the other girls had a great time picking out clothes and trying them all on. They each bought a new outfit, and Esme picked up several pairs of shorts and skirts for Ali, besides a few new shirts. They found a pair of sandals that were perfect for her, also, and Esme even found herself a new pair.

They all laughed and talked on the way back to the car and Esme was so glad that she had the opportunity to get to know Ali's new friends a little. Esme drove them all home and then her and Alice came in through the garage armed with bags. Carlisle had just gotten home and was removing his Lab coat when they walked in. When he spied the bags, he started to put it back on like he was going to go back to work. Esme smacked him on the arm and he grinned. Alice just shook her head and laughed.

Carlisle took his wife in his arms, kissed her and looked over at his smiling daughter. "So, Ali Angel, am I going to get to talk to you about the incident at the Stanley's house, or am I gonna' be shushed again?"

"Dad! It was no big deal! You know how Lauren is! She acted real nice and asked me to help her. Then she said she had to get someone else since I was too heavy for her to lift, she said she needed something off the top shelf, anyway, she brought Jasper back. He lifted me up, but before I could grab the box she said she wanted, she turned off the light and shut the door. Jasper stumbled over something in the dark and was trying not to drop me. Lauren whipped the door open and it looked like we were, well, in a compromising position. Edward and a ton of other kids were standing there. Anyway, Edward started yelling and they started fighting, and they left me. That's all. Jessica helped me and mom came and got me." Alice took a deep breath and just looked at him.

"Okay." he glanced at Esme and saw that she was trying not to laugh at Alice's outburst. "Well, the boys worked it out between them, but I am not happy that they were fighting, and especially that they took off and left you there. I know that Jasper is being given extra work to do around the house and is on a day-by-day restriction. What do you think would be a good punishment for Edward? I thought it only fair that you give some suggestions in this situation."

Alice looked thoughtful for a moment. "Dad, Edward was only trying to protect me. I know he went about it the wrong way, but his heart was in the right place. I don't really think he should be punished."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Ali, and I agree somewhat, but there is still the fact that he left you in a dangerous situation. He should've tried to keep a level head and gotten you out of there."

"I know." she said.

"Well, the yard needs to be cleaned up for spring, still. That is a good job for Edward to do while he's thinking how he could've handled the situation better." He looked down at Esme, still held in his arms. "What do you think of that suggestion, My Heart?"

"I actually think that is a very good suggestion. He's bored to death without anyone around, anyway, since he and Jasper can't hang out during the day. That'll definitely keep him busy."

Carlisle turned to Alice. "Ali?"

Alice bit her lip, "Well, I suppose it won't hurt him. And the yard does need to be raked and the bushes trimmed... Okay, Dad. I agree, that's a good punishment."

"Okay, that's settled. Now, do I get a fashion show later, or do I just pay the bill?" He grinned at Esme.

"Daddy!" Ali said and rolled her eyes at her mom.

* * *

Edward and Jasper walked into the kitchen after they were done practicing with the band. "Hey, Mom! How was the mall?" greeted Edward with a kiss and hug.

"Hi, baby! It was good! I really like Ali's friends. They are all nice girls. And we also found some good sales, so your sister is set, for the summer at least." Esme smiled.

"That's cool! I'm glad you had fun." Edward said, helping himself to a glass of water.

"Hi, Ms. Esme. Anything I can help you with?" Jasper asked.

"Hi, Jas! No, thank you. How was your punishment trip to the zoo yesterday?" she grinned at him.

He laughed. "It was terrible! I had to be a slave all day. Ali and Rose were so mean to me, too!"

Esme laughed. "I bet they were! I saw some of the pictures. You looked like you were having a terrible time."

"I was! It was awful! I may never recover!" he gave her a goofy smile.

She swatted him on the arm. "You're just bad, Jasper!" Still laughing she asked him, "You staying for supper? We're having tacos!"

"Yes, please!" He said, rubbing his stomach and licking his lips.

"Okay. We'll eat in about an hour. Oh! By the way, Edward, did you talk to your dad, yet?"

Edward looked at her with dread. "No. We just got done practicing. What horrible thing does he have planned for me?" he groaned.

"Well, the yard needs to be cleaned up for summer, so it'll be your job to get it done." she told him.

"Well, that's not too bad. At least he didn't restrict me from practice or baseball." He acknowledged.

"He thought about it, but those activities concern others, and it's not fair to them for you not to participate. They are counting on you. We thought it better to give you something where you have plenty of time to think about what you could've done differently. Raking the yard and trimming the bushes will give you a lot of thinking time."

"Yeah. Okay." Edward agreed. "Just so you know, Mom, I do feel really bad about how I reacted. I should've known better and I should've just gotten Ali out of there. I still can't believe we just left her sitting in that closet. I heard some of the things Lauren said after we left, too." He shuddered. "I can't believe that she forgave us so easily. She's a much better person than me." He shook his head sadly.

"Well, just look at it as a learning experience and be glad that Ali wasn't physically hurt." She smiled at him, softly. "Well, I guess I better get dinner started. Why don't you go up and see your dad and get it over with?"

"Okay." Edward sighed. "Comin', Jas?"

"Yeah! I'm not letting you face him alone. We're in this together. We both acted badly and we both need to make amends for it." He grimaced, and followed Edward out of the room.

Esme smiled. She was so proud of how they were sticking together, even though, not forty-eight hours ago, they were all set to kill each other. Little did she know that they had been about to kill each other again less than three hours ago, but no one was telling her about that.

* * *

Ali came dancing out of her dad's office as the boys approached the door. "Hey guys!" Ali sang. "How was practice?"

"It was good." said Edward. He noticed that Alice didn't pay any particular attention to Jasper, but that Jasper's eyes had lit up the moment he saw her.

"That's cool! I wanted to come and listen, but Mom took me shopping. Like my new outfit?" she asked twirling around.

"It's really nice, Ali." complimented Edward.

"It's beautiful." added Jasper.

She grinned at them. "Thanks! Well, gotta' show him one more! See ya'!" And she skipped down the hall to her room.

Jasper's eyes followed her and he had a slight grin on his face. Edward rolled his eyes. "Geeze! First Emmett and now Jasper! He guessed he should be mad that the Hales didn't have another daughter for him! Of course, there was Bella... " he smiled. He thought he really couldn't be too mad at Jasper, after all, you can't help who you fall for.

* * *

"Thanks, Dad. We'll be more thoughtful in the future." Edward told his dad.

"I hope so, Son. Ali could've actually been in danger. I don't expect you to babysit her, but protecting your sister, or brother, for that matter, should be a top priority. Same goes for you, Jas."

"Yes, sir. I will definitely stop and think before doing anything rash again." Jasper promised.

"In reality, you two will make a lot more mistakes in your life, and that's okay, life is about learning, but you have to try to remember what's important and make good decisions. You're both good boys, and I am proud to call either of you 'Son', just listen to your conscience and it'll help you know what's right and what's wrong. And try not to worry so much what others think. Others' opinions are not as important as taking care of your family. Okay, work on the yard tomorrow and we'll call it even, then. You better get cleaned up for supper now."

"Thanks, Mr. Carlisle."

"Yeah, thanks, Dad."

They stood up to leave when Alice knocked at the door and stuck her head in. "You done? I've got to show you my new bathing suit, yet!" she said to Carlisle.

Carlisle laughed. "Okay, Angel. Let's see this new bathing suit!" he beckoned her in.

She came prancing into the room and Jasper's mouth hung open. Edward gave him a warning look and he closed his mouth and tried not to stare.

"Honey! That's beautiful! You look so pretty! I'll have to have Jackson get out the shotguns for our Fourth of July party, huh? All the boys'll be vying for your attention!" Carlisle teased.

"Dad!" Ali blushed and laughed. "You're so silly! I'm glad you like it, though! I loved it the minute I saw it! Well, I'm going to go get dressed for supper. Mom said we'll eat in about twenty minutes." She looked at Edward. "Oh! And Mom said you should come set the table for her." With that, she waved and flitted from the room.

Carlisle sighed, "That girl is going to be the death of me!"

Edward looked at Jasper and smirked, then walked out of the room.


	32. Why Can't I Remember?

32.

Why Can't I Remember?

"Alice! It's time to eat!" Edward called up the stairs. "Come on! We're waiting for you!"

"I'm coming! Geeze!" Alice said as she appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Well, what's taking you so long? Mom asked me to call you." He scowled at her as she reached the bottom step.

"Okay, sorry! Gee!" She rolled her eyes as she danced around him, grinning.

He looked heavenward, "Why me? Was I that evil in my previous life?" he asked following her to the kitchen.

Alice snorted. "You must've been a saint in your previous life to deserve me as your sister." she quipped as they entered the kitchen together. Her twinkling eyes looked toward her dad and Jasper when she heard them laugh. She giggled and spun around a couple times on her way to her usual seat.

"You sure are happy today, Sweet pea. I'm glad to see it!" commented Carlisle, smiling at his daughter.

"I _am_ happy, Daddy! Everybody at school was so nice to me today! Even people who don't normally talk to me, told me they thought what Lauren did was mean! Then, I got a bunch of new clothes and I got to hang out with my friends and mom at the mall! It's just been a great day!" She hugged herself and continued to smile.

Esme and Carlisle exchanged a pleased look and Esme reached out and squeezed her husband's hand. "I'm so glad you had such a nice day, Ali." said her dad. "That reminds me, how was your day with Rose and Emmett yesterday?"

Jasper stopped eating, but kept his eyes on his plate as he listened. "It was heavenly, Dad! You know how I love the zoo! We had so much fun, and I got to boss Jasper around all day!" She looked at him when he raised his eyes to hers, and she grinned. "Rose made him let me! He was so funny! He even watched the polar bears swim with me and we had a picnic."

Carlisle looked at Jasper. "Hmmmm... Seems to me I heard he was your, 'Slave for the Day', I think was how Jackson put it." Jasper blushed and Carlisle and Edward cracked up.

Esme smiled kindly and shushed them. "Be nice, you two! That was very nice of Jasper."

"Oh! He didn't have a choice!" Alice piped up. "Rose said she would tell Mr. Jackson if he didn't and then he couldn't practice with the band or go to the State Finals with us next week." She smirked at him when his eyes darted to hers. Then she smiled at him, "But he was very nice and he bought me a stuffed polar bear, too! It's my favorite!

He smiled back at her, his green eyes glowing.

"Then, we went to dinner at Benihana." Alice continued. "The chef was hilarious and gave Emmett a really hard time. We had such a good day!"

"Well, you've had an exciting couple of days, huh?" Carlisle said. "Too bad summer is coming. What will you do for excitement?" he teased.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Daddy! I have so much planned for summer! I will not be bored! I promise you!"

Carlisle looked at Esme and made a face. "That's what I'm afraid of!" Esme laughed and rubbed his arm.

* * *

After dinner, Jasper and Alice cleaned up the dishes and table. "I'm glad you had fun yesterday, Ali." Jasper told her.

She looked at him from where she stood on the stool in front of the sink. "Thanks, Jasper, I did." She blushed and turned back to continue rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher.

Jasper came up beside her and handed her the rest of the plates. "Are you going to come listen to us practice tomorrow?" he asked.

"I guess." She shrugged. "I don't have any plans. It is Friday, though, so it might change, I don't know."

"Don't you like to listen to us practice any more?" he looked a little hurt.

"Well, of course, I do, Jas! I've just had stuff to do. Did I come listen to you a lot, you know, before?" she looked puzzled.

He paused for a second, "Actually, you did, pretty much every day. We made you our, like, promotor/manager, and you came and watched so you could tell us your ideas. You do remember coming up with our name, don't you?"

Ali looked at him, wide-eyed. "No way! I'm the one who came up with the name for your band?" At his nod, she looked back down at the sink and frowned. "Wow! Why did you guys let me name the band?" She looked back at him. He was frowning, too.

"Well, we didn't _let_ you, you just came up with the name, and we liked it." He shrugged, still looking at her. His eyes took on a softness she didn't understand. "I can't believe you don't remember that. Do you remember making our logo?"

"Your logo?" He nodded, again. "If I made it, how come I've never seen it?"

He shrugged. "You got hurt before we could do anything with it. You printed a sample out, it's in the garage by our stuff. You must have a file on your laptop."

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah! I probably do!" She put the last plate in the dishwasher and hopped off her little stool. Grabbing the dish towel, she dried her hands. "I'm gonna' go check my laptop right now. Maybe I have other stuff for your band on it."

"Can I come with you? He asked, hopefully.

"Of course!" she grabbed his hand. "Come on!"

They went into Alice's room and she got her laptop off the desk and sat on her bed. She patted the mattress next to her for Jasper to sit and turned it on. She clicked on her files and searched through them for anything she didn't recognize. "Hmmmmm... what's this?" she murmured. It was a file called, 'Penelope'. She clicked on it and it was a series of documents with names like, 'Our Place' and 'Jas & Bella?' and the dates. She looked questioningly at Jasper. "I didn't know you had gone out with Bella."

He shook his head. "I never went out with Bella."

Alice clicked on the file, but it was protected by a password. She typed in several passwords she may have used, but none opened the file. "Um, apparently, I started a journal a few weeks before I got hurt, but it's password protected and I don't remember the password." She blushed and gave him an apologetic look. "One file says, 'Jas and Bella' with a question mark after it."

His face showed understanding. "Yeah." He smiled at her. "I hugged her when I first heard her play 'cuz I was so excited, and you thought I liked her. It was cute."

"Oh. Well, I'll just try to open this later. Maybe it'll help me remember some things." She closed the file and started searching again. "Here's one!" She clicked on the file named, 'NoiZe' and she turned the screen so Jasper could see it, too.

There were several samples of different logos she had made, along with outfit ideas, and poster and playbill samples. There was also a file with names of different events around the area that she had been checking into for them to play at. Several had dates typed in red next to them, some had dates in blue and a question mark, and some just said 'check back'.

Ali raised wide eyes to Jasper. "I did all this?" she asked him.

"Yep!" He nodded and smiled.

"Wow! Are you still going to do all these concerts?" she wondered.

"Yeah, we've gotten confirmation on the ones in red. I'm not sure about the ones in blue." He looked at her again with a raised brow. "Do you think you can finish this? Ya' know, check out the ones in blue and find out if any of them have confirmed?" he asked.

"I suppose I should. They're probably wondering why I never got back to them. Sorry." she looked worried.

"Ali," He took her by her upper arms and turned her toward him, "you are more important than any concert. Everyone was so worried about you. No one cared if you finished setting up our concerts." He reached up and stroked her hair. "I really do wish you could remember, though." He looked deep in here eyes.

"Maybe you could tell me what I've forgotten. Would you? Would you tell me what I can't remember, Jas?" she pleaded with him.

"I will try my best, Ali." He looked a little sad.

She gave him a big smile. "That would be great! It's terrible not knowing what you did, or said."

"Or how you felt..." Jasper mumbled under his breath.

* * *

Emmett and Rose dropped Alice off at school Friday morning. She walked to her locker and then went in search of Jessica. She saw her by her locker and skipped over to her. "Hey, Jess!"

Jessica turned with a smile. "Hey, Ali! What you up to this weekend?"

"Well," Alice said, coyly. "I was hoping some of my friends would want to come and watch a bunch of really hot guys play music after school today."

"Hot guys? I'm there!" Jessica quipped, with a laugh.

Alice giggled. "Well, they're not hot to me, but as long as you girls think they are, it's all good!"

Jessica grinned. "Let's go find Steph and Jan! They will simply die when you tell them!" They started walking towards where they knew the other girls would be. Alice saw Jessica's eyes light up and looked up to see Brent walking towards them.

"Ali!" he called. "I got those tickets you wanted."

"You're so awesome, Brent!" she squealed. "Thank you so much! Are you sure your dad doesn't need money for them? I didn't expect them for free."

"Are you kidding? He loves you! He didn't mind at all." Brent told her. "I'll bring them with me to practice tonight. You're gonna' be there, right?"

"Yep! I'm also bringing new groupies. Jessica is coming, and probably Steph and Janice, too."

Brent looked over at Jessica. "Very cool!" he grinned. "We haven't had anyone new since Savannah came." He looked over at Ali. "Sorry, Ali."

Her smile dropped. "For what?" she asked, puzzled.

"Well, you know, for bringing up Savannah." he looked at her curiously.

"Why? I don't even remember her that well. I only remember seeing her when Jasper brought her to his birthday dinner. Oh! And at the mall one time. Did I see her more than that?" she cocked her head and looked at him, trying to remember.

"I don't know, Ali. Um, I shouldn't have brought it up." He looked uncomfortable and tried to change the subject. "Anyway, what time are you girls coming to Jasper's?"

"Brent! Please tell me why you are being so weird about Savannah. Did she do something mean to me?" Alice pushed for more information. She hated that other people knew things that she couldn't remember.

"Well, no. The day you hurt your head, Jasper had a date with Savannah." Brent said, looking worried.

"So?" she prompted, wondering why this was news.

"Uh... well, you and Jasper were going together..." At Ali's gasp, he continued. "He told you he was going to break up with her the night before, but he didn't. Instead, he... um... well... "

Alice helped him out. "… had sex with her?"

Brent gasped and his eyes got wide. "You know about that?"

"Uh, yeah! Edward blurted it to the entire eighth grade class at Jessica's the other night." she stated, snottily.

"Look, Ali. If you're gonna' get mad at me, I'm not sayin' nothin' else." He held up his hands and backed up a little.

Alice put her hand on his arm. "No! It's okay! I'm sorry! Please tell me the rest!" she pleaded. "Jasper and I were going together? How come he didn't tell me?"

"I have no idea, Ali. All I know is that he told you he was seeing Savannah again that night and you were sad. He was acting like a jerk and then you fell. He's been acting weird ever since. I know he feels guilty, and he asks me all the time if I know if you've remembered anything. That's all I know."

"Okay, Brent. Thanks for telling me." Ali looked up at him. "I know it's hard for you being friends with both of us. I won't put you in the middle, I promise." She grimaced and put her hand to her head.

"Ali?" Jessica asked. "You okay?"

Brent looked alarmed. "Ali, you are really pale. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. My head just hurts." she answered them, giving them a little smile.

* * *

Alice was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't even know what time it was. Her head throbbed and she couldn't wait to get home so she could try to read the journal on her laptop. "Why didn't Jasper tell me about us going together?" she wondered.

She hoped there were some answers in the journal. She was going crazy from all of the thoughts whirling in her head. It was too weird to think of her and Jasper going together. She had a nice time with him at the drive-in and then at the zoo, she even liked it when he kissed her, but did she feel that way about Jasper? Did he think they were still together?

Then it dawned on her. Of course he didn't think they were still together. He must've broken up with her if he had planned to go out with Savannah again. Brent had said she had been sad and Jasper had had sex with Savannah! He must really like her a lot, to do that with her. Of course, Savannah had been with Tom at the drive-in, but maybe she just went out with him because Jasper hadn't ever called her when Ali had been in the hospital.

Maybe that's why Jasper had been kind of mopey lately. He was probably hoping Savannah would break up with Tom so he could ask her out again. That's probably why he was so mad when Edward wouldn't believe him at Jessica's house. He had told Edward he wouldn't touch her if she was the last girl on earth. Of course he wouldn't. Not if he still liked Savannah. Savannah was all blonde and sexy, and Alice... was not. She doubted anyone would think about sex when they looked at her. Not that she wanted anyone to. She shuddered.

God! Her head hurt. She had to make herself stop thinking so much until she got home.

Lunch time finally arrived and she was so glad to see her friends. "Ali, you are still really pale. Does your head still hurt?" Brent asked her.

"Yeah, but it'll be okay." she answered him.

"You do look pretty bad, Ali. Maybe you should go to the nurse." Bella added.

"Thanks, Bella!" Alice tried to joke, but put her head on the table. "Maybe I will. I'll eat something first. I didn't have anything for breakfast."

The other girls chatted about how they couldn't wait to listen to the band later and asked Brent and Bella a bunch of questions. Ali ate her lunch, but felt a little sick to her stomach afterward. "Great!" she thought. "This day is just getting better and better."

The rest of the day dragged by. By the time school was over, Alice's head was pounding. She didn't know how much longer she would've been able to stand it. Thank God, she could go home, finally. She heard her name and looked up. Her mom was waiting for her.

As soon as she got in the car, her mom said, "Ali! What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Mom. I just have a headache." she said with a sigh, and leaned back against the car seat.

* * *

Ali stumbled over to the Hales'. Her head hurt so bad, but she didn't want to miss seeing the girls. Jasper had text her that they were here and that the back door to the garage was open. She hoped he would talk to her for a few minutes. She had so many questions and he told her he would try to help her remember.

She pasted a smile on her face and went into the garage. "Alice! You made it!" Stephanie cried. She and Janice ran over to her. "We are so excited!" They all walked over to the chairs that were there for them.

Brent came over when she was seated. "How's your head, Teensy?" he asked her, handing her an envelope. "It still hurts, doesn't it? You look like crap."

"Thanks, Brent. You're a terrific best friend." she grimaced at him and he laughed.

"Seriously, you shouldn't be here if your head still hurts. Just go home, we'll entertain the girls." he told her.

"No, Brent, I'm fine. Go play with your sticks." She shooed him with her hands. "I'm fine. And, thanks for these!" She held up the envelope.

He nodded, and walked back to his drums. After some adjusting, and a few quick rifts, everyone was ready for their little concert.

"You ready, Brent?" Jasper asked him, and Brent nodded and counted it out.

"One, two. One-two-three-four!"

They played five songs before breaking. The girls clapped and cheered, whistling and carrying on. The band grinned and bowed, and then put their instruments down. Jasper grabbed a couple bottles of water out of the mini fridge and tossed one each to Bella and Brent. He grabbed one for himself as Edward grabbed one, too.

"Would any of you girls like some water?" Jasper asked them. They all declined and the band continued to freshen up.

"Ali!" Jessica breathed. "They are so good. I had no idea!"

"I know! I told you." She wiped sweat off the back of her neck. "They even have a bunch of songs that they wrote themselves."

"Wow! I bet they'll be famous some day." Janice gasped.

Stephanie looked at her, wide-eyed. "Oh my God! We could be, like, in the same room as future famous people!"

Janice and Jessica cracked up at her. "What's so funny?" Jasper asked, smiling as he approached them. "Did we play that bad?" The girls giggled and grinned at him. They were somewhat intimidated by Jasper. He was so handsome and he had never really paid much attention to them before.

"No! You guys were awesome!" Stephanie said, enthusiastically.

"Thank you so much for letting us come listen!" Janice gushed.

Jasper laughed. "Thank you for coming! You're welcome any time." Alice wiped sweat off of her upper lip and Jasper looked toward her with a frown. "Ali? You okay?" She started to nod her head, but it hurt too bad.

"I'm fine, really. It's just a headache." She had put the tickets into two separate envelopes with a greeting card. Alice handed one to Jasper. "This is for you. Happy Graduation!"

He took the envelope and gave her a puzzled look. She walked over to Edward and handed him the other envelope. "This one is for you. Happy Graduation!"

"Ali, you didn't have to do that." he said. He and Jasper opened the cards and looked at each other with surprised grins. There were four first row seat tickets to a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game in each card. Edward gave Alice a big hug. "Ali! These are great! Thank you so much!"

"How did you get these?" Jasper asked her, incredulously. "They must've cost a fortune."

She gave him a coy look, "I have my ways." She giggled, looking at Brent.

Jasper and Edward looked at Brent. "Waddya' do, rob a bank?"

He grinned, "Not exactly. My dad is a Minor League baseball player with the Brewers. That's why we moved here."

"No way!" Jasper gasped. "And you never told us?"

"It just never came up." Brent shrugged. He looked over at Bella, and the other boys followed his gaze.

She looked guilty for a minute, then said, "That's why I moved here, too."

"Your dad is a ball player, too?" Edward asked, shocked.

"Guilty." She said sheepishly. "Brent's dad is my mom's brother. He introduced her to my dad."

"Wow! That is so frickin' cool!" breathed Jasper. He walked over to Alice. "Thank you so much." He hugged her and whispered in her ear. "This is the best gift I ever got."

She looked up at him with a grin when he released her. "I'm so glad you like them! I got you four each so you can both invite friends and dates, or whatever." She grimaced and put her hand up to her forehead again.

Jessica put her arm around her, "Ali! You need to go home! You look terrible!" She looked up at Jasper. "She's had a bad headache since this morning."

"Ali, I'm gonna' take you home, okay?" he told her. She looked up and gave him a half-hearted smile. He called to his bandmates. "Hey guys! Ali's not feeling well. I'm gonna' take her home."

Edward's head shot up. "I should take her home, I'm her brother." Bella leaned over and murmured something to him.

Jasper rolled his eyes and led Alice to the door. "Bye, everybody! See you later." she called.

He took her out the back door and she moaned. "Ali? What is it?"

"The cold. It feels good." Jasper looked at her with worry. It wasn't cold out at all. In fact, it was in the low seventies. Pretty warm for late May in Wisconsin.

Alice swayed on her feet and Jasper gently lifted her against his chest. Her head lolled and then settled against his neck. Jasper could see the sweat dotting her upper lip and forehead. He went to the Cullen's back door and took her inside. "Anybody here?" he called.

"I'm here" Esme called as she hurried toward the kitchen. "Oh! What's wrong with Ali? Her head still hurt?" She said as she spotted him with Alice.

Jasper nodded. "She's really hot, too. She's sweating."

"Will you bring her upstairs, honey?" Esme asked.

Jasper took her up and laid her on her bed. He took off her shoes and Esme hustled into the bathroom for a cool cloth. She wiped Ali's face and looked up at Jasper. "I told her it was best to stay home. She said it didn't hurt that bad.

"Jessica told me it was hurting her all day." Esme nodded and they both looked back down at Alice.

"Alice? Honey? Does anything hurt besides your head?" Esme asked her.

"No... I do feel sick, though." she groaned. Esme motioned for Jasper to hand her Alice's small garbage can. "Here, if you have to get sick, here's the garbage can, okay?"

"Okay. It only started hurting when I was trying to remember." Alice told her mom. "I need to talk to Jasper. He said he would help me... you know, remember. Why can't I remember?"

Esme reassured her, "I'm sure Jasper will help you tomorrow, Ali." At his nod, she continued. "You need to get rid of your headache first. Can you swallow some Advil, do you think?"

Alice nodded. "I'll get it." Jasper ran out of the room and down to the kitchen. He got a glass of cold water and the bottle of Ibuprofen. He was back in a flash and helped Ali sit up to take the medication.

"Thank you, Jas. It's just a headache, you two." She sighed. "It's not like I'm gonna' keel over, or anything."

"Well, get some rest and we'll see how you're doing in a while." Esme told her and she and Jasper left the room.

"Thanks, Jasper." Esme smiled up at him.

"No problem, I just hope she feels better soon. Well, I'm gonna' head back over to my house. Let me know how Ali's doing, please." He asked Esme.

"I will, sweetie. See you later." Esme smiled at him, but she was worried about Ali. This didn't seem like a regular migraine to her.

* * *

"Good morning, Ali! How's your head?" Edward asked her as he passed her in the hallway on his way to the bathroom.

"It's much better. Thank you!" she assured him, then, noticing his baseball clothes, she asked, "Do you have baseball today?"

"Yeah, our coach wanted to squeeze a practice in today. Mom's gonna' take us in about a half hour."

"Maybe I'll come with her and watch. I don't have anything planned." she said.

"That'd be cool! Leah was there last time and she asked about you. She might be there today." he went into the bathroom and Alice went downstairs.

"You look much better today, Angel. How do you feel?" Esme asked her.

"I feel much better, Mom. Can I go with you to baseball?" Alice asked.

"It's fine with me, but I'm not staying. I have some errands to run, and then I'm meeting Dad for lunch. Edward is going to call Emmett when they're done to come get them." She explained.

"Oh. Well, I thought maybe Leah might be there, I haven't seen her since last summer, and I really don't have anything planned for today." Alice grabbed a banana and some cereal. "Where are you and Dad going for lunch?"

"I'm meeting him at the Abbey." she smiled.

"Very nice."

Alice was glad she decided to go with the boys to baseball practice. She did not feel like sitting in the house by herself all day.

* * *

"Oh my God! Ali?" Leah squealed when she spotted her. "You look so different! How are you?" She gave Alice a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm good!" Alice laughed, "at least I was until that hug. How are you? You look great!"

Both girls were in the group 'Sisters of Baseball Slobs', or S.O.B.S., as they called themselves. They had made the group a few years ago with some of the other sisters. They started having to come with their moms while the boys practiced since they were too young to stay home by themselves, but then they wanted to come so they could see each other.

"I've really missed you, Leah! I should've called you over the year." Alice said. Leah was Emmett and Rose's age, but the two of them had just hit it off.

"I wish I would've, too. It's been too long!" Agreed Leah, and they chatted about their lives since they had seen each other last. After they had been chatting for quite a while, the team was given a break and Alice heard someone call her name. She looked over to see Leah's brother, Nate, looking at her.

"Is that you, Ali Cat?" he asked, a huge smile on his face.

She ran over by him and gave him a hug. "Hi, Nate! It's great to see you!"

He held her at arm's length, admiring her for a minute. "It's great to see you, too! Wow! You sure grew up over the school year. You look amazing!"

Alice blushed and smiled at him. "Thanks!"

They caught up for a few minutes and then Nate asked her if she'd like to see a movie with him.

"Tonight?" Alice asked him. At his nod, she grinned, "I'd love to! Here, let me give you my cell phone number. You can call me later and let me know what time."

Jasper looked over at them from where he sat on the bench. He saw Nate pull out his phone and, he assumed, Alice give him her number. He also noticed the way Nate was checking her out. She had on white shorts and a little blue top, at least it looked little to him. She had her hair in a french braid down to the small of her back, but there wisps of ebony hair all around her face, softening the effect. Her skin glowed golden in the sunlight, and her eyes twinkled like sapphires. "God damn it!" he thought. "I can't turn my back on her for a minute." He got up and walked over by the two of them. "Hey guys! How's it going?" He tried to act nonchalant, but inside, his jealousy was killing him.

"It's going great!" Nate answered with a grin. "Ali just agreed to see a movie with me tonight."

He turned to Alice with a glare. "I thought we were going to hang out tonight?" he asked her.

"I see you every day, Jas, and you didn't say anything definite, so I thought it would be nice to catch up with Nate." Alice shrugged.

"Fine." he ground out. The coach called them, so both boys started back toward the diamond.

"Talk to you later, Ali!" Nate called.

"Okay, Nate!" Ali answered. Jasper turned and glared at her again. "What the heck is his problem?" she thought.

* * *

"Jasper! Pay attention out there!" Coach Klein called to Jasper out on second base. Jasper took off his baseball cap and pushed his hair out of his eyes and put his cap back on. He couldn't concentrate on baseball. He was too busy imagining Nate and Ali at the movies. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop her from going. He thought she'd tell Nate she couldn't go if he said they were supposed to hang out, but she'd just turned it back in his face. At least Nate couldn't drive himself, so his mom or dad would have to take them. There wouldn't be any making out with Nate's mom in the car, thank God.

After going to the drive-in and the zoo together, Jasper had hoped that Alice would remember how it had been between them. It seemed she knew all about the bad stuff, but couldn't remember any of the good. "Damn it!" He swore as the ball flew over his head. He turned to see where it went, but the runner hit his base and passed it. He caught the ball that was thrown to him and whipped it at the third baseman.

"Out!" he heard the umpire call.

"That was close!" he thought. He had to keep his head in the game. Even if it was only practice, he knew his team mates would never let him live it down if he screwed up because he was daydreaming. He looked out toward the bleachers again. He saw Alice sitting with Leah and a couple of the other guys' sisters. They were laughing and talking, but still watching the field. He really wanted to know what they were talking about. Were they discussing how cute one of his team mates were, or that Alice was going out with Nate, or maybe how he had almost screwed up the play? "Ugh! Keep it in the game, Jasper." he reminded himself. He paid attention for a while, but then his eyes went right back to the bleachers. Finally, his group was up to bat. At least he could just sit for a while and not worry about screwing up. The only problem was, that now, his back was to the bleachers so he couldn't observe Ali without her knowing. "Damn it!"

Nate was two batters in front of him and he got to first base. Nate was on third when Jasper was up, and the other bases were loaded, as well. Jasper put the bat between his legs and took off his cap again. His hair was just too long to stay under the thing for long. He pushed his hair back again and put his cap over it. He looked up and saw Alice and the other girls watching him. He swung the bat a few times and walked up to the base. Now was his chance to show Alice he was the better man. "God damn it!" he got a strike on his first swing. "Way to go, Hale! Concentrate!" He saw Nate wave toward the bleachers from third base. "Shit!" He was really starting to not like Nate. He swung the bat with everything he had. "Thwak!" The ball flew through the air and he tossed the bat and ran toward first. The girls started cheering and screaming. You'd have thought it was a real game instead of just a practice one, but he couldn't help the grin that came to his lips as he slid into home. Bringing in himself and three other runners wasn't too shabby. "Not too shabby at all."

* * *

"Okay, guys! Great practice! I know some of you are going to be out of town this coming week, but I'd like to schedule a practice any way for Wednesday for the rest of us. Then, we'll go to our regular schedule starting the next Tuesday." Coach Klein said before releasing the team for the weekend. "Have a great trip those of you going to State with your families. We'll see everyone a week from Tuesday!"

With that, everyone walked off to their own little groups. Jasper followed Edward toward the bleachers and he saw Alice and Leah coming down them. "Hi, Edward! Hi, Jasper!" Leah called.

"Hey, Leah!" Edward greeted her, reaching the bleachers. "It's great to see you!" He gave her a hug. "How's school been going?"

"It's okay! I prefer summer break," she laughed. "but I'm hanging in there! I'll be glad when Tuesdays over. I am so ready for summer this year!"

"Hey, Leah!" Jasper said, hugging her as he walked up.

"Hey, Jas! You're looking good! What's with the long hair?" she teased him.

"I'm in a rock band, now, ya' know? Gotta' look the part." he grinned.

"Yeah! That's right! I heard you guys were really good! Savannah told me that I had to come and hear you!" she looked sheepish. "Oops, sorry, Jas. I heard she was seeing Tom Justen now."

"No! It's fine! I'm happy for them. I'm interested in someone else, anyway." he assured her.

"Anyone I know?" she teased.

"Maybe." he laughed, but didn't say any more. He stole a glance at Alice. She was just standing there looking at them all with a slight smile on her face, like she really wasn't listening to the conversation. "Probably daydreaming about her date with Nate, damn it!" he thought. Just then, "Speak of the Devil, himself!" thought Jasper, Nate walked up.

"Hey, Nate! Ready?" Leah asked him.

"Yeah. Just a sec." He turned to Alice, "I'll call you in a little while, okay?"

She nodded, giving him a big smile. Jasper tightened his hands into fists. He wanted to beat the shit out of Nate right there. He gritted his teeth and thought how bad it would be to have to sit home by himself while the others were up state next week. He calmed down a little thinking how he would be with Ali and Nate wouldn't.

"See you guys!" Nate and Leah called, waving as they walked to their car.

"I guess I'll call Emmett and tell him we're ready." Edward said.

"I already did." said Alice. "I figured it'd take him a while to get here, so I called while you guys were cleaning up your gear."

"Thanks, Ali! Did you enjoy catching up with Leah and the other girls?" asked Edward.

"I did! It was so nice. I also was invited to the movies tonight." answered Alice.

"Cool! You and some of the girls?" he wondered.

"No. Nate asked me." Alice smiled. "He's going to call me in a little bit to tell me what time."

Edward turned to look at Jasper and Jasper just scowled at him. He turned back to Ali. "Um, well, that'll be nice, huh?"

"I think so! Nate has gotten really cute over the school year." she grinned. She looked at Jasper. She thought she heard him make a growling noise, but he was just looking down at his shoes. "Dad'll probably have a fit and say I'm too young to date, but it's just a movie."

"Well, you probably are too young, Ali. Maybe he'll be okay with it if Jas and I go, too. I mean, we'll sit somewhere else, but at least he'll know we're there." Edward offered. Jasper looked up at him with a grateful smile.

"Edward! You'd do that? That's so nice of you!" Alice smiled, "Thank you!"


	33. The Neanderthals' Plan

33.

The Neanderthals' Plan

"A date? Esme! She's too young. No." Carlisle said firmly.

"Carlisle, it's only Nate Timmons. He's been in baseball with Edward and Jasper since T-ball." Esme tried to sway him.

"I know who he is, Es. He's still a teenage boy. Ali is too young." He shook his head and had a mental picture of his baby daughter with soft ebony curls surrounding her tiny face, her fist in her mouth, as she grinned up happily at him from her crib. He closed his eyes in pain.

"She really wants to go, honey. What if Edward and Jas go with them? The boys offered and Emmett said he'd even drive them and stay if you wanted him to."

Carlisle sighed. He knew when he'd been beat. "She's growing up too fast, Esme. It's hard enough knowing she's soon to be a teenager, let alone going on a date with a boy." He rubbed his eyes and looked at her. She smiled softly at him.

"I know, My Darling, but we'll have her with us for a long time, yet. It'll be okay, I promise." She walked to the office door and opened it to find three anxious faces looking at her. She smiled at Alice, she could understand her anxiety, but what were the boys up to? "He said it's okay."

Alice grinned, "Yes!"

The boys looked at each other, surprised. Then Esme added, "But he thinks your brothers going, _and_ sitting somewhere else, would be a good idea."

Both of the boys grinned, but Alice lost her grin, "Okay. That's cool, I guess." Then she smiled, again and walked through the open door. She hugged her dad, "Thanks, Dad."

"You probably don't want the boys to tag along, but I think it's best to be cautious." assured Carlisle.

"It's okay, Dad. As long as they sit somewhere else, I'm okay with it." She sighed happily. "Well, I better go figure out what I'm going to wear." She flitted out the door, again. She looked at the boys still standing there grinning. "Thanks, guys." she whispered as she went past them.

"No problem, Ali." Edward told her, but as soon as she turned away from them, they looked at each other with wicked grins. Now they just had to go tell Emmett the good news.

* * *

Alice sat on her bed painting her fingernails when her phone buzzed. She picked it up nervously and said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Ali? It's Nate! You still wanna' go to the movies with me tonight?" Nate asked, jovially.

"I'd love to, Nate!" she chirped, bouncing on her bed. "What do you wanna' see?"

"How about 'Furry Vengeance' with Brandon Fraser? It's playing at the Lake Theater and it looks really funny." he offered.

"Okay! That does look funny!" she agreed and they decided to meet at the theater at 6:45 for the 7:00 showing. "Oh! There's one more thing I forgot to tell you. My dad insists that my brothers come with us. They'll sit somewhere else, but that was the only way he'd let me go. He thinks I'm too young to date."

"Oh!" Nate said, then chuckled. "I guess if I had a daughter as pretty as you, I wouldn't let her out of the house without bodyguards, either."

Ali giggled. "Nate, you're so sweet! See you in a couple hours then." she said, and closed her phone.

* * *

When it was time to leave for the theater, Alice met the boys downstairs. The three of them were sitting in the kitchen laughing when she walked in. "Hey guys!" She greeted them.

"Ready to go, Short Thang?" Emmett asked, she nodded and the other boys burst out laughing again, and Emmett choked out, "Uh, Ali? We need to talk first." At her nod, he continued, "You know, we are doing you a favor by going to the movies with you. We all know Dad wouldn't let you go, otherwise."

"I know, Emmett! I really appreciate it, too." said Alice. She looked at the other two boys as they snickered.

"Alice!" She looked back at Emmett, his eyes were twinkling with laughter and he cleared his throat. "Well, we all think you're kinda' young to go out with a guy. You know they're only after one thing, right? But we thought we'd help you out since we love you. We've all known Nate a long time but, just remember, he is still a guy."

"Gosh, Emmett, ya' think?" Alice rolled her eyes. "Geeze! Why does everyone in this family act like I'm a baby?"

"Cuz you _are_ the baby, Ali! You're our baby sister and we have to protect you from all of the evil, lusty boys out there!" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully and Ali heard the boys snicker behind her.

"It's not like I have boys asking me out all the time, Em. Other than Nate, you guys and Brent, I don't think many other boys have ever actually spoken to me."

"That's cuz they know you have the strongest, most awesomest big brother ever!" Emmette began flexing his biceps, making Alice giggle.

She heard Edward snort behind her and she said, "You really think Edward is the awesomest?" The boys cracked up behind her.

"Arrrgh!" Emmette hollered and started after her as she ran. "I'll get you for that one, Ali!"

He caught her easily, swooped her up and began tickling her.

"Emmette!" she gasped. "I can't breathe, and you're messing up my hair!"

"Just don't forget who is the awesomest ever again!" Emmette said, setting Alice down.

"You are, Oh-wise-and-hulking-one!" She laughed as she bowed down to him.

"Seriously, Ali. You know you can always count on me to protect you, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Em, I love you." She said, giving him a big hug.

"I love you, too, Short Stuff." He said, hugging her back.

* * *

Emmett kept grinning the whole way to the theater, and Alice wondered what the heck he was thinking about. Edward and Jasper sat in the back and they kept snickering and whispering. They had probably been telling dirty jokes while they had been waiting for her in the kitchen. She rolled her eyes, "Boys are so annoying!" she thought.

Emmett parked the car and the four of them got out and started walking toward the entrance. Alice was looking around for Nate and finally spotted him up by the ticket booth. Alice waved to him, and Jasper scowled. Edward elbowed him and Emmett started laughing. Alice looked back at them and they all looked at her like "What?" She was so glad she wasn't going to be sitting by them. They were really starting to get on her nerves.

"Hi, Ali!" Nate called, looking her over with a smile. She had on a denim skirt and a gauzy pink blouse. Her hair was hanging free but pulled off her face by a pink headband. Her eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed a soft pink. "You look really pretty."

Alice smiled and blushed "Thank you."

Then Nate, who thought he heard one of the boys make a growling noise, looked over at Alice's brothers and added, "Hey guys! Thanks for coming with Ali so I could spend some time with her."

Emmett burst out laughing again and Edward said, "No problem, Nate!", as Jasper elbowed Em.

"They are acting so weird," Alice thought. "What a bunch of Neanderthals." To Nate, she said, "Ignore the cavemen. I don't know what their problem is tonight. Anyway, thanks for inviting me!"

"My pleasure." Nate told her with a big smile and a gesture toward the door, "Shall we?"

He and Alice walked into the theater and the boys bought their tickets and followed them. Nate bought some popcorn and Cokes and ushered Alice into the theater. They found good seats in the center of the theater and settled in. The were chatting happily while waiting for the movie to start. The theater lights started to dim and the previews started. They talked about which of the movies they would like to see and what kind of movies they liked best. They shared the popcorn and occasionally reached into the bucket at the same time, which made Ali giggle softly. Nate smiled at her, and made a point of making sure he reached in when she did. He hadn't believed how much Alice had changed when he saw her at baseball practice. She was still really small, but she was now curvy and really beautiful. His heart kind of did a little flip when he saw her and he found himself asking her out before he even thought about it. Now he was glad he did. She was amazing and he was having a great time with her.

He put his head closer to hers and whispered in her ear. "You really look beautiful tonight, Ali."

Suddenly, he heard a noise like a bunch of marbles rolling on the floor. He felt something hit his shoe and, in the dim light, saw dozens of round colorful candies rolling down the slanted floor. Ali jumped and looked down, too. "What the heck?" He looked behind him, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Oh well, someone must've just dropped their candy." he thought.

He heard someone laughing, but he didn't think anything about it. He relaxed once more and thought about Ali. She was really pretty and she smelled so good. He wondered how she would react if he put his arm around her. He sat up really straight and started to lift his arm. Just then, he felt something wet hit him in the head. He felt his hair but didn't find anything but a wet spot. He looked up at the ceiling, "Was it leaking?" he wondered. He thought he heard someone laughing again, but when he looked back, he didn't see anyone. He thought that he was probably just nervous.

He leaned closer to Alice again and started to put his arm around her again, when he felt something wet hit him for the second time. He looked up at the ceiling again. Maybe he and Alice should move, he thought.

"Ali, did you feel something wet hit you?" he asked her. She shook her head. "Oh. I think the ceiling may be leaking." She looked up and he put his arm around her. She looked over at him and smiled. He jumped when he felt something wet soak his shoe and sock. He bent down and saw a river of liquid run past his shoes. He whipped around to look behind him and, of course, he didn't see anything. "Damn it!" he mumbled.

Alice looked over at him, "What's wrong?" she asked, softly.

"Someone spilled something and it just soaked my shoe and sock." he told her.

She turned to look behind them, but she didn't see anybody. "I don't see anybody sitting behind us, Nate. Where did it come from?" He shrugged and they both turned back to the movie. Nate put his arm around her and she leaned into him and sighed.

Nate had no idea what the movie was about. He had spent the whole time thinking about Ali. He wondered if Alice would let him kiss her and, if she did, what she would taste like. She was so sweet, he thought she'd probably taste sweet, too. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, planning to kiss her if she turned her head towards him. 'Whack!' He felt something hit his ear. "What the hell!" he was starting to get pissed.

Ali glanced at him and he smiled at her. She smiled and looked back toward the movie. "Damn it!" He'd missed his chance to kiss her and the movie was almost over. There was no way he'd be able to kiss her once the movie was over, not with her brothers and Jasper here.

He kept looking at her out of the corner of his eye, hoping for another chance. He still had his arm around her and he gave her shoulder a squeeze. She looked over at him and he lowered his head to kiss her. 'Splat!' Something wet hit Nate in the neck. "Did you feel that?" he asked her. They both looked behind them but still didn't see anybody.

Ali turned back to Nate, but paused when she heard a familiar snicker. "Those jerks!" she thought. She pretended she didn't hear them and acted natural. She leaned toward Nate and whispered, "Don't look back, but I think my bodyguards are sabotaging us."

He leaned toward her, "What should we do?" he asked. He heard a bunch more round candies roll down the floor and some snickering. "We gotta' get 'em back, Ali."

"I know." she whispered. "Just ignore them for a minute, I have a plan. Put your arm around me and we'll scoot way down in the chair like we're making out." He grinned and tried not to laugh. "Then I'm going to sneak out to the aisle and a couple seconds later, sit up a little so they can see the top of your head, okay?" He nodded, grinning and trying not to laugh. "Okay, go ahead."

Nate put his arm around her and leaned over toward her. He felt something hit him on the top of the head, but he ignored it and they both scooted down in their chairs until no one could see their heads above the back. Ali giggled, she couldn't help it. Nate grinned at her again and put his hand over his mouth, trying not to laugh out loud. She gestured that she was gonna' go and saw something whiz above her head. She gasped and looked over at Nate. He was holding his stomach and had a hand over his mouth. She put her hand over her mouth, too, and cracked up.

Alice mouthed, "Okay" to Nate and, crouching down, moved to the end of the chairs and out into the aisle, keeping close to the side of the chairs and down. She quietly moved up toward the back of the theater. She heard some whispering and slowly peaked over the top of the chair and saw Emmett standing up trying to see them down below. She grinned. Emmett was starting to get worried. Ali moved slowly forward.

She was almost to the aisle where the boys were hiding. She could hear them whispering and had to cover her mouth again so she wouldn't laugh out loud. "It's a good thing the theater is almost empty." thought Ali and she grinned. She moved right to the end of their aisle, jumped up and yelled, "What are you boys doing back here?"

The three boys jumped and Edward spilled his popcorn all over the place. Alice cracked up and she could hear Nate laughing, too. Jasper scowled and Emmett laughed hysterically. Edward just smirked at Alice. She had gotten them pretty good. He had to give her credit.

They all looked up in surprise as the credits started rolling. "The movie was over already?" Nate thought. "Damn!" He was gonna' kill Edward and Jasper.

They all walked out of the theater with Alice reading the boys the riot act. They were smirking at her and laughing occasionally. Nate had to admit that what they did was funny and, if he hadn't been their victim, he would've probably been right beside them. He had to grin at the idiots. He said goodbye to them all and told Ali he would call her soon.

* * *

Alice was silent the whole way home and the boys, almost, felt bad. When they arrived home, Alice went straight to her room. She did not want to talk to the 'Buttheads' as she was now calling them. Edward and Jasper were in Ed's room laughing over what they had done. Emmett had gone over to see Rosalie and fill her in on how their plan had worked.

Edward felt his phone buzz and looked to see he had a text message. Opening his phone, he saw it was from Nate. "Oh shit!" he told Jasper. "It's from Nate." They both looked at the screen as Edward opened it.

_Hey Edward! _

_What was up 2nite? _

_You guys were hysterical._

_-Nate_

"What should I write back?" Edward asked Jasper.

"I don't know! Just tell him we're sorry and we were just having fun." Jasper offered.

"Okay."

_Sorry Nate!_

_We were just having fun. _

_-Edward_

A couple minutes later, Nate sent a text back.

Jasper and Edward exchanged surprised looks. "What the Hell?" Edward said.

_Liar!_

"What do we write back now?" Jasper wondered.

"I don't know." Edward thought a minute and typed a response.

_What r u talking about?_

They both looked anxiously at the screen waiting for a message back.

They jumped when the phone buzzed.

_A little birdie told me u had an ulterior motive._

_;-)_

Jasper looked at Edward with raised eyebrows. "What is he talking about?"

Edward shrugged, "I don't know!"

He typed a question.

_huh? _

They waited with puzzled expressions.

Not long after, Nate sent an answer.

_Leah and Savannah r here. _

_Seems sum1 4got to tell me that_

_Jas luvs Ali. _

_Wtf?_

_U coulda' just told me._

_;-)_

Edward looked at Jasper with a smirk. "Busted!"

Jasper scratched his head, "Uh, yeah, I guess I coulda' just told him, huh?"

"Never thought of that, did ya'?" Edward asked.

"Neither did you! You're the one who came up with the plan!" Jasper accused him.

Edward typed a reply.

_Guilty._

_Sorry._

_Still friends?_

"Are we? Still friends, I mean?" Edward asked Jasper.

Jasper looked at him with a frown on his face. "I guess. Why wouldn't we be? As long as he stays away from Ali..."

"You know, Jasper. You can't just run off every guy that asks her out. She doesn't belong to you, unless she wants to. What are you going to do if she never, you know, wants you?" He gave him an apologetic look.

Jasper looked surprised like he never thought of that before, and then his face fell. "I don't know." he whispered, looking like someone had just killed his puppy.

"I'm sorry, Man! I just, you know, worry." Edward said, putting his hand on Jasper's arm.

"It's okay. I'll figure something out." Jasper reassured him, but he really had no answer. He didn't really deserve Ali anyway, after throwing her to the side for Savannah. What if she decided she'd never love him? Her face and body were maturing, and soon, he knew, other guys besides Nate would start to see what he saw. The fact that she was so tiny had kept her a little girl in most eyes, but that would soon change, and he had to be ready for it. She was too beautiful for her, and his, own good.

"That thought sure put a damper on an otherwise fun night." he thought. "Damn!"

Edward's phone buzzed again.

_Of course!_

_Tell Jas he better get busy tho _

_b4 someone else steals her. LOL!_

_She's hot!_

_;-)_

_

* * *

_

Jasper went down to the kitchen to get him and Edward a Coke. The house was dark and quiet, so he slipped into the kitchen and went straight to the fridge. He opened it and jumped in surprise when the light showed Alice sitting at the table in the dark.

"Ali? You okay?" he asked her, cautiously. She had really ripped into them earlier. He left the fridge open and walked over by her. He could see tears on her cheeks. "Oh no, Ali. Are those tears because of what we did tonight?" he asked, feeling like crap.

She shook her head. "No. I actually thought you idiots were funny." She smiled at him.

He sat down next to her, "Then, why?" he gestured toward her face.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Ali," he wiped a tear off her face. "You know you can talk to me."

"Well, I was... excited... that Nate asked me to the movies. I've never felt very, you know... attractive, but then he called a little while ago and said he thought we should just stay friends." She looked up at him. "Don't get me wrong, I think he's cute and really nice, but I wasn't planning on marrying him, or anything. I just feel so... I don't know... rejected." More tears ran down her cheeks.

"Ali!" she looked up at him and he cradled her face in his hand. "You are beautiful, inside and out, and very special." At her scoffing look and snort, he put his other hand to her face to force her to look at him. "Alice!" Her eyes widened, he never called her Alice. "You insult me! I know I am only fifteen, but I know with my whole heart that you are someone that anyone would be happy to be with."

She looked at him with affection. "You have to say that, cuz you're Jasper, my knight in shining armor."

"No, I don't have to say that because of that, I have to say it because I love you."

"That's what I mean. You love me, so you say what you think will make me feel better. You're so sweet." She smiled through her tears.

He wiped away another tear and she saw regret in his eyes. "I say it because I really mean it, Ali. I am _in_ love with you. I just want us to be together."

She gazed at him with wide, shocked eyes. "Jasper!" she breathed, looking into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

He released her face and looked sad. "I did. But I messed everything up."

"How did you mess everything up?" she asked. "I mean, I know you broke up with me to go back out with Savannah, Brent told me, but you were happy with her, so it's okay. You should be happy."

"No, I wasn't happy. I was... well... uh..." he hemmed and hawed.

"Horny?" she asked with a laugh. His eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open.

"Ali!" he looked so shocked that she started giggling.

Still laughing, she said, "I'm not a baby, Jas. I know about... things, ya' know?" she grinned at him. "I admit, I was shocked when Edward blurted out your personal... um, business, in front of everyone at Lauren's party, but if you were... well, intimate with Savannah, I figured you must care about her a lot, so I understand. I'm just sorry that she started going out with Tom while I was in the hospital. That must bother you." She put her hand on his arm in sympathy.

"What bothers me, Ali, is that you don't remember what we mean to each other." He looked deep into her eyes. "I know I hurt you. I wish with all my heart that I could take it back, but you've locked everything away and I don't know how to unlock it, again. I'm still in love with you. I don't want Savannah back."

Alice looked down, worry between her brows. She wasn't sure how she felt about Jasper. He was handsome, for sure, even though she told her friends otherwise, he could make her heart flutter with a look, but did she love him like _that_?

She looked up at his gorgeous face. His green eyes were shining in the light from the still open fridge. His sun-streaked blonde hair hung over his forehead and tried to shield them from the light. She reached up and brushed it out of his eyes, loving the silky feel of it. She looked down his face to his lips. They were full and soft-looking, she knew from the drive-in and the zoo, that they were as soft as they looked.

She raised up off her chair and looking into his eyes, placed her lips against his. He held her gaze, and his breath, afraid to kiss her back. She grew frustrated and pulled away. She crawled up on his lap, put both her hands around his neck and pulled his head down to try again. He held her gaze, remembering how she used to do this when she was little and wanted his attention. Still looking into his eyes, she kissed him with everything she had.

His face was still frozen in place, trying to figure out what she was thinking, then she wound her fingers through his long hair and yanked him closer. He felt like someone punched him in the stomach and, letting out a low groan of surrender, began to kiss her back. He watched as her dark blue eyes drifted closed and she sighed against his lips. He gathered her closer and lost himself in her lips.

Edward walked into the kitchen and saw the open fridge. "Jasper! What the Hell?" Then he saw them, Ali still on Jasper's lap, kissing. "Oh!"

Ali pulled away from Jasper, eyes wide with fear at being caught. She remembered what had happened at Jessica's house when Edward had only _thought_ they'd been kissing. "Edward!" she gasped. "It's not his fault! I kissed him!"

Edward held up his hand, "Ali, it's alright. What do you think our stunt at the movies was about? I'm just glad we don't have to watch Jas mope around any more. He's such a drama queen!" Ali giggled as Edward rolled his eyes, grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and closed the door. He wiggled his fingers at them and started out the door, then stopped abruptly. Jasper was sitting there just gazing at Alice's face. "Uh, Jas?" When Jasper looked up, he said, "Remember what I said. Not even a broken fingernail." he warned. At Jasper's nod, he left them alone in the dark kitchen.

Jasper couldn't believe his luck. Ali had kissed him! He barely dared breathe as he watched the emotions play over her face. She looked at him in the darkness of the kitchen, still perched on his lap. He held her firmly by the waist, but otherwise didn't move. Neither of them said anything, they just looked at each other. One not knowing what to say. The other afraid of what would be said.

Finally, Alice drew in a breath. "Jas?"

"Yes, Ali?" Jasper whispered, his voice hesitant.

"I like kissing you." she told him with a shy smile.

"I like kissing you, too." he said, grinning.

She could see him plainly in the dim light, and wondered what he was thinking. "If we, you know, go together, will that be enough for you?"

"What do you mean?" He frowned, hoping she didn't mean what he thought she meant.

"Well, I'm not sure I'll want to go past kissing any time soon... " she looked worried.

"Alice!" he sounded angry and set her off his lap. Standing up, he looked down at her and said. "I am not a sex fiend! I do not expect _anything_ from you."

She stared up at him, not sure what to say. "I... I just meant... "

"I know what you meant! You think because I slept with Savannah that I'll want to have sex all the time." He gritted out, running his hand through his hair. He was sick of this shit. "Look! It just happened. I didn't plan it. In fact, I had broken up with her! She figured out that I was in love with you. She said you would never sleep with me, so she wanted to show me what I was missing. I pushed her away at first, Ali, but, well... it felt really good and she... kept on. So I just... you know, let her. I know it was stupid and... selfish, and I wish it had never happened, but... I can't change it!" He ran his hand through his hair again and paced the kitchen.

Alice watched him, her eyes full of doubt. "But... Brent told me... you still wanted her... that you... didn't break up with her." She didn't know what to think. "He said I was sad... and you were going out with her... that night... the night I fell. You lost her because you couldn't call her... you know, from the hospital. It was... my fault. I just... I just thought you still... you know, cared about her." She was so confused.

He stopped in front of her and glared down at her. He'd never be able to convince her that she was the only girl he cared about. "No, Alice." He growled at her. "I never cared about her. I just wanted to fuck her!" Alice gasped, her eyes going wide. "Tell Edward I went home." he said, and walked out the kitchen door.


	34. The Best Decision

34.

The Best Decision

Jasper marched across the yard to his house. God! He was so pissed off! He was just tired of this whole thing. He was fifteen years old, for crying out loud! He should be having the time of his life instead of mooning over little Miss Alice Cullen. She was just too damn young to even be wasting his time on! Too young and too innocent, and way too gullible! She didn't even know how to kiss right!

Jasper let himself into the house and slammed the door. His mom was in the kitchen and jumped in surprise. "Jasper! I thought you were staying at Edward's tonight."

He shook his head, "Changed my mind." He paused long enough to gulp down a glass of water, then went on to his room.

She looked after him with a frown, he had been so moody lately. She wondered what was bothering him and hoped it wasn't anything serious. "Maybe Jackson should have a talk with him." she thought.

Jasper flopped down on his bed. He started thinking about Ali's shocked face when he'd left. He knew he'd been really harsh with her, but, damn it! She just wouldn't stop talking and listen!

He ran his hand through his already messy hair. He'd told her he was in love with her, how he just wanted to be with her, what more did she want? He couldn't go on like this any more! One minute she's kissing him, the next, she's warning him that she won't want to have sex, like she's afraid he can't control himself! Like he's some kind of sex addict, or something. Geeze!

He slammed his hand down on the mattress. She was so frustrating! She'd been adamant that he still wanted to be with Savannah! He didn't know where she got her information, but she kept insisting that people only had sex when they loved each other, so he must still 'care about' Savannah. Ha! How frickin' naïve could she be?

He supposed he cared about Savannah to a point, he had worried about hurting her feelings when he was planning to break up with her, but he and Savannah both knew their 'relationship' had nothing to do with love, or even like, for that matter. It had just been pure lust. If Ali hadn't ended up in the hospital, he would probably be with Savannah right now.

He slid off his jeans and socks and put on his headphones. He turned his iPod as loud as it would go, but he couldn't stop thinking about Ali. He just had to get her out of his system. That's all there was to it!

* * *

Alice didn't know how long she stood in the kitchen with her mouth hanging open after Jasper stormed out. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd said that made him so mad, but he had made it very clear that he hadn't been in love with Savannah when he'd had sex with her. He also made it clear that he had intended to have sex with her again before Alice had ended up in the hospital. Rose had said you _should _care about someone, but not that you _had_ to. She shook her head, she didn't know much about it, but she did know that she wasn't having sex with anybody. Ever!

She let out a long sigh and went upstairs to her room. She laid on her bed, but sleep would not come. "Why couldn't things be simple, like they used to be? Why did everything she say or do make Jasper angry with her? His temper really scared her. She couldn't remember him ever being mad at her before a couple of weeks ago. Now it seemed like he was mad at her every time he saw her. Sometimes it seemed as though he was just barely holding himself back from hurting her. She didn't think he ever would, but it still worried her.

Alice rubbed her forehead, her head was starting to ache again. She closed her eyes and tried not to think, but her thoughts just wouldn't go away. Every time she tried to think things through about her and Jasper, her head began to hurt. She started singing softly to herself and finally drifted off.

Carlisle slowly opened Ali's bedroom door. He couldn't believe she was still sleeping. It was almost noon. He peeked in and saw her curled up in her bed. He crept across the floor to check on her. Her face looked peaceful in sleep, but he noticed dried tear tracks on her cheeks. His face wrinkled into a frown. "Hmmmmm... she'd been crying in her sleep? What's going on with her?" he wondered. He left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Carlisle walked into the kitchen where Esme, their boys and Jasper were. "My Darling, she is still sleeping. She must've had a rough night, though. She has dried tears all over her face. Poor baby. What could be troubling her so much she'd cry in her sleep?"

Esme sadly shook her head. "I don't know, My Love. She rarely talks to me about anything personal lately. Maybe I can get her to open up a little when she wakes up."

Edward and Emmett looked over at Jasper. They were eating lunch and Jasper didn't look up from his plate. The boys looked at each other and Emmett raised his eyebrow at Edward, who just shrugged. They both thought they needed to have a talk with their friend.

"I think we should just leave her be, Es. Maybe just let her know we're here if she needs to talk. Maybe seek professional help if she seems too troubled. I don't know." He rubbed his hand over his face and looked at her with soft, sad eyes. She could see worry in their beautiful, sky blue depths.

Esme wrapped her arms around her husband. "It'll be okay, Carlisle. She's a teenager. You know, all hormones and emotions? We'll just watch and see." He nodded his head against her hair and they just held each other.

Jasper snuck a look up at them and felt sad and guilty. He decided then and there, he was definitely going to stop pursuing Ali. He had already decided last night to back off until she grew up a little, but he could not knowingly cause suffering to those around him any more. He felt a sharp pain in his chest and felt as if his heart had just cracked.

He looked over at Edward and Emmett and found them both looking at him. He looked back down at his plate, but realized he had suddenly lost his appetite.

* * *

An hour later, Esme went upstairs to check on Alice again. She opened her door and saw that, though she was still lying in bed, her eyes were open. "Ali? You feeling all right?" she asked her.

Alice nodded as Esme walked over to the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed. "What's going on, Ali?" she prompted. Ali just shrugged. "Come on, Baby. You can talk to me.

Alice's soft, breathy answer almost made Esme smile. "There's this boy... he says he likes me, a lot, but I'm not sure how I feel about him."

Esme stroked her hair back off her face, "Oh. Well, you have plenty of time to figure it out, Ali. Take your time and don't let him, or anyone else pressure you, okay? If he really likes you, he'll still like you once you figure things out.

Alice nodded her head. "Okay. Thanks, Mom." She rubbed her forehead again and sighed.

"You're welcome, Sweetheart. Ali? Is your head hurting, again?" At Alice's nod, she said, "I'll bring you some medicine."

"No, Mom, I just want to sleep, okay?"

She frowned and Esme stroked her hair, "Okay, Sweetheart. Try and get some rest. I made tuna for sandwiches, if you're hungry, otherwise, I'll check on you a little later."

"Love you, Mom." Ali whispered.

"Love you, Baby." Esme smiled at her, her eyes full of love for her little girl, and let Alice have her privacy.

Esme came into the living room where Carlisle and the boys were watching a baseball game on TV. She went over to her husband and sat on his lap. "It seems our little girl has boy trouble." She grinned at the look on his face.

"Boy trouble? As in, boys other than ours?" He looked worried and Esme giggled.

"Yep! Our little girl is growing up, My Darling. You better get used to it." She giggled again at the scowl on his face.

"You just had to have a girl, didn't you? Every gray hair I get will be your fault!" She laughed and ran her fingers through his thick, dark curls. "So," he continued, "is this _boy_ the one from the date the other night?"

"I assume so. She didn't really say. She only said that he likes her and she's confused about how she feels about him. She's so young, Carlisle, I hope it's a long time before she's really attached to someone." She frowned and Carlisle reached up to soothe the lines from her forehead.

"Don't worry, My Love, we'll be here for her. She'll make the right choices." he hugged her to him and she sighed and snuggled into his warmth.

Jasper didn't look at them, but he heard every word they'd said. It just confirmed what he had already figured out for himself. Ali was too immature for his attentions right now.

He felt someone looking at him and glanced over at Emmett. He gave Jasper a knowing look, obviously he had been paying more attention to his parents' conversation than he had let on. Jasper turned back to the TV, he pretended to watch the game, but all he could think about was Alice. His chest felt like someone had punched him. How was he going to stay away from her?

Just then, he heard a noise on the stairs. He knew it had to be Ali. He turned and saw her pass the living room into the kitchen. She looked at him with fearful eyes as she passed. He looked at her with the longing of a starving man being deprived of food. His mouth turned down at the corners, it seemed as if all happiness had just been sucked out of his life.

Alice reached the kitchen and breathed a sigh of relief. She just didn't want to talk to anyone right now, especially Jasper. Her head hurt, her chest ached and she felt exhausted.

Alice helped herself to a glass of milk and a tuna sandwich. She ate quickly and swallowed some medication for her headache. She wished she didn't have to pass the living room again, but there was no other way back to her room. She tentatively walked out of the kitchen and passed the living room. No one looked her way, so she hurried up the stairs to the safety of her room. She lay on her bed with a sigh. She hadn't known if Jasper would be here, or not, after last night, but she was so glad he hadn't said anything. She just didn't know what to say to him right now. She needed time to straighten out her thoughts and feelings and, when she was with him, she just couldn't manage to think straight.

Alice reached for the photo book on the table next to her bed. She opened it to her favorite picture of Jasper. She smiled and gazed at his handsome face. He was so dear to her, why did she keep making him so mad? Her eyes wandered over his features and his messy, bright hair. He was so beautiful. She sighed. She did love him, didn't she? She must. She followed his jaw line with her fingertip. He was the first person she thought of if she had something important or exciting to share. He was the first person she wanted to show when she made or did something cool. She slept better when he was with her. She felt safe when he was with her. She was happier when he was with her. He'd always seemed happy when he was with her, too.

"Except for last night," she frowned. She had made him so mad and she didn't even know how or why. She had never heard him talk like that before, or seen that look on his face, and she just wanted to understand. She sighed, maybe she could talk to Rose. She had helped her before. A yawn tore her from her thoughts. "Yaawwwwnn... maybe I'll just talk to her later..." she thought as her eyes drifted shut. "Tomorrow... after school..."

* * *

The last full day of school dragged by. They really didn't do much but clean out lockers and turn in books, but it was a required day for all sixth and seventh graders. The only bright spot in the whole day was lunch. She got to see her friends and assured Jessica, Stephanie and Janice that she would spend a lot of time with them over the summer. She, Bella and Brent chatted about their plans for the band and that they would miss each other while Ali was up state with Emmett and her family. She dreaded the afternoon, and, true to expectation, it was even worse. Her thoughts turned again to Jasper, her feelings for him, and what he might expect of her, and her head began to ache terribly. Finally, the bell rang, her mom pulled up to the curb and Alice was done with sixth grade.

When they walked into the house, Alice was relieved to find it empty and quiet. "Ali? You want something to eat, Honey?" her mom asked her.

"No, thanks, Mom. I think I just want to lay down for a while." she told her.

Esme looked at her with a worried frown, "Is your head hurting, again, Sweetie?"

"A little, but I mostly just feel tired. Would you wake me for dinner, please?"

"Sure, Honey." She kissed her on the forehead and watched with concerned eyes as Alice disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

"What's the deal, Jas?" Edward finally had the opportunity to talk to Jasper in private. They were at Jasper's house sitting on the couch in the family room playing a video game. "You and Ali seemed all smoochy-faced and happy Saturday night. Then, yesterday, she's all emo and you're not talking. Spill."

"I don't know, Edward." Jasper ran his hand through his hair and stood up. Pacing back and forth, he continued, "It's not going well. I just don't think it's gonna' work, ya' know? She's just too young and I can't stay on this emotional roller coaster any more. I've decided to... you know, back off. Leave her alone until she's older and can figure out what she wants. If I get her out of my system by then, even better."

Edward looked up at him in disbelief. "I don't get it! You said you were in love with her. You can't just turn that off."

"I didn't say I didn't love her. I just said I can't keep going around and around with her. Not knowing from one minute to the next what she's thinking. Sometimes she looks at me like she's terrified of me. It just pisses me off, ya' know? All I've done her whole life is love her and look out for her, and now she's not sure how she feels about me? Whatever! I'm done!" He threw his hands up and then crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Hey!" Edward said, putting his hands up in surrender, "I'm not judging you, Bro. I'm just trying to understand and be here for you. I love you both and I don't want to see either of you hurt. Maybe your decision is for the best, she is just a young girl, after all. Have you told her, yet?"

Jasper shook his head, his hand in his hair again. "No, and I'm not going to, either. I'm just gonna' do my best to act the same as always and just not bring it up. Unless she asks me outright, there is nothing to talk about as far as I'm concerned."

Edward gave him a worried frown and added, "Okay, just know, I'm here for you, Man."

"Thanks, Ed. It's nice to know." Jasper gave him a little smile of gratitude before sitting back on the couch to continue their game.

* * *

Early the following morning, they found themselves traveling the three hours to northern Wisconsin, where the High School State Baseball Finals were being held. Rose had pulled rank on them and was sitting shotgun next to Esme. Alice sat miserably sandwiched between Jasper and Edward in the back of the family's SUV. Both boys silently looked out their windows, and Ali tried to make herself as small as possible so that she wouldn't bump into either of them. They didn't make it any easier, either. They both sat with their legs wide apart, sprawled on the seat, wide shoulders taking up more than their share. She sighed and tried to relax. She had begged her mom and dad to let her stay home, but they wouldn't even consider it. They were uncomfortable with her being home alone all day, and possibly all night, if Carlisle was kept at the hospital. Jackson practically lived at the hospital himself, and Lynnette was wrapped up with two high-profile clients at the moment. There was no guarantee that any of them would be around should Alice need an adult, and so she found herself squeezed between her brother and her... "well, whatever he is," she thought and sighed.

Jasper risked a look at Ali when he heard her sigh. He felt really bad that she had to sit between them, but there was no way Edward would sit in the middle and it made no difference where he sat since they'd still be next to one another. Besides, she was the smallest and there just wasn't that much room in the middle. His heart did a little somersault as she glanced up at him with sad eyes. He hadn't spoken one word to her since he had stalked out of the kitchen. He gave her a little smile and turned back to look out the window.

They finally reached their hotel and Alice was never so happy to stretch her legs. She grabbed her bag out of the back, but looked up as a strong hand took it out of her grip. Jasper just lifted it up without a word and started walking toward the door to their rooms. Alice picked up two shopping bags full of food instead and followed him. Their rooms were part of a suite. There were two large rooms separated by a small living room and kitchen. Both rooms had two Queen-sized beds and the boys would take one and the girls would share the other. Each room had its own bathroom, also, with a powder room located off the living room area.

Esme pointed Jasper in the direction of the boys' room and he set Alice's bag down and went to put his stuff in his room. Alice took the shopping bags into the little kitchen and put the food on the counter. She was on her way back to the car for more, when she felt someone behind her. She looked back to see Jasper on her heels. There wasn't anyone else around, so she attempted to talk to him.

"Jas?" she started timidly. He looked at her with a blank expression. "Um, I... I'm sorry I... you know... made you mad the other night."

He gave her a little smile, "No problem, Ali." and just kept walking to the car. He handed her a small shopping bag and carried the other four himself.

"I can carry more, Jasper." she insisted, thinking all those bags must be heavy.

He looked down at her with a smirk, "These bags weigh more than you do, Ali." He chuckled and went back to their rooms. She frowned at him. He was acting like nothing happened. Well, she'd just do the same. She slammed the rear door of the SUV and followed him into the hotel. He was putting the food into the refrigerator so she started putting away the stuff that went into the cupboards. There wasn't a lot, they weren't sure how long they'd be here, but Esme had made sure to bring enough snacks and things to drink so they would be comfortable.

Alice folded up the bags and put them in the cabinet under the little sink. She went to carry her bag into her room, but Jasper was there before her and had already put it on the little suitcase stand next to the closet. She unpacked her clothes and took out her iPod and book. Her mom said they'd be here for about an hour before they'd go to where Emmett was. He had ridden in the bus with his teammates early this morning and was staying with them in a hotel closer to the sports arena.

Alice laid on one of the beds intending to listen to her music for a little while, but the last three nights caught up to her and she fell instantly asleep.

Jasper knocked softly before walking into the room. Esme had asked him to see if Alice wanted anything to eat before they headed off to find Emmett. He gazed down at her sleeping face and his heart turned over in his chest. "This was going to be a long week," he thought, smiling at the way her mouth made a little sucking sound in her sleep. She looked so much younger than her thirteen years, and he was sure he had made the right decision. She needed someone to protect her and look out for her, not someone to confuse her and pressure her into growing up faster. He would continue that role until she was grown enough to know her own mind. Then he would claim what he had always felt was his, her heart.

He went back out into the living area of their suite. "Ms. Esme? Alice is asleep."

Esme looked worried. "Thank you, Jasper. She's been so tired lately. Maybe we should just let her sleep. I hate for her to wake up and find herself alone, though." She turned to Edward. "Edward? I hate to ask this of you, but would you, please, stay here with Ali while we go find your brother?"

"Aw, Mom!" he exclaimed, then sighed, "I guess..." Edward was disappointed, but he knew they couldn't just leave Alice here alone in a strange hotel room.

"I'll stay with her." Jasper said. "I'm tired myself. I'll just take a nap on the couch so she'll see me if she wakes up.

"No, Jasper. I couldn't ask that of you." Esme shook her head.

"It's fine! I'm not missing a game, or anything, and I am tired. I can see Emmett later." he insisted.

"Well, if you're sure, Jas." She gave in and smiled her appreciation. "Thank you, Honey."

Jasper sat on the couch and watched TV while Esme got some last minute details out of the way, and then she took the other two kids and went in search of Emmett's hotel.

As soon as the SUV pulled out of the parking lot, he went into Ali's room. He laid down on the empty bed and watched her sleep. He wondered if she'd think he was a perv if she caught him and he chuckled to himself.

God, she was so pretty. So delicate and soft. All that long, dark hair and soft, pale skin. So sweet and caring. So soft-hearted. He imagined holding her in his arms, her feeling safe and loved, him feeling all proud and protective. His eyes drifted closed and he joined her in sleep.

* * *

Esme found Emmett's hotel fairly easily and checked in with his coaches to make sure she had the correct schedule for their games over the next few days, if they won, that is. When everything checked out, she went in search of Emmett. He wasn't in his assigned room, but then, all of the boys were all over the place. The coaches told them that, as long as they stayed on their floor, they could visit each other's rooms.

Esme spotted Tony Clark. "Tony!"

"Hi, Mrs. Cullen!" Tony said, running up to her.

"Have you seen Emmet, Dear?" she asked him.

"Sure! He's in Junior's room. Right this way." he said, leading her, Edward and Rose down the hall.

Emmett was playing cards with some of the other boys. He jumped up when he saw them and gave his mom and Rose a hug. "I'm glad you guys made it okay! I've got the tickets to tomorrow's game for you in my room." He looked around, "Where's Ali and Jas?"

"Ali fell asleep and Jas volunteered to stay with her while we came over here." Esme told him, and she turned to walk back to Emmett's room.

Emmett's eyes flew to Edward's in surprise. Edward saw worry in them and began to think that maybe leaving Jasper alone with Ali wasn't such a good idea. He looked back at him and shook his head, Jasper would never do anything to hurt Alice, he knew that and, if he thought about it, Em knew it, too. Rose looked at both of them with a look of disgust. Emmett looked ashamed and Rose turned on her heel to follow Esme, both boys trailing behind them.

Emmett got the tickets out of his bag for Esme and she put them in her purse. "Thanks, Honey. One more thing, are you going to eat dinner with us or your team?"

"Is it okay if I eat with the team, Mom?" he asked, looking at Rose. She raised a brow at him, but then she smiled. He smiled back and looked at his mom.

"Of course you can eat with the team, Em. I want you to enjoy this experience, it's not every day you get to go up state with your baseball team!" She grinned proudly at him. "I just wanted to give you the option of coming with us if you wanted to. Any idea where you guys are going?"

"Coach Meyer said they were thinking pizza." Emmett told her looking pleased.

Esme laughed. "And that doesn't make you happy at all, right?" Emmett grinned.

Rose shook her head at him and laughed. "You know he'd eat pizza 24/7 if you let him!" she told Esme.

"I would not!" Emmett said in protest, frowning, but with his eyes sparkling. "I'd have to fit in burgers and tacos and fried chicken somewhere!" He grinned and Rose smacked him on the arm, all of them laughing.

"Well, kiddo, we better get going. We have to go back and get Ali and Jas before we can eat." She gave him a kiss and a hug, "We'll see you tomorrow, then. Have fun, and be good! Don't give your coaches a reason to call me."

"I won't, Mom!" He rolled his eyes and grinned. "See ya' tomorrow, Ed." He gave Rose a hug and whispered in her ear. "Love ya', Rosie."

"Love you, too, Em." she whispered back. "Have fun and kick ass tomorrow." They grinned at each other and Rose followed Esme and Edward down the hall.

* * *

When Esme and the kids got back to their hotel, Esme reminded them that Alice might still be asleep and asked them to be quiet so they wouldn't wake her yet. When they opened the door, there was no sign of either Ali or Jasper. Esme went into Alice's bedroom and saw her still sleeping peacefully. She looked in surprise at the other bed. There lay Jasper fast asleep. She smiled fondly at him, he always took such good care of her baby girl. She left the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

She looked at Rose and Edward waiting patiently in the living area. "They're both asleep. Let's get cleaned up and ready for dinner, then we'll wake them up."

"Okay, Mom. Rose, if you want to use my bathroom, you can go first." Edward told her.

"Thanks, Edward." Rose said and went into his room.

Esme went into the powder room to freshen up and Edward flopped on the couch and turned the TV on. A few minutes later, Jasper came out of the girls' bedroom rubbing his eyes, his long hair all over the place. "Hey, Ed! When did you guys get back?"

"Oh! Hey, Jas! Just a few minutes ago. Mom said you were sleeping so the girls are getting cleaned up for dinner in the other bathrooms."

Jasper walked over and plopped into one of the chairs to watch TV with him. Edward looked over at him. He looked back and, after a minute, said, "What?"

Well... I was just wondering... um... " Edward hesitated.

"What, Edward? Just say it!" Jasper demanded.

"Well... why were you... sleeping with Ali?" He looked at him suspiciously.

"God damn it, Edward. I wasn't sleeping _with_ Ali. I was laying on the other bed." Jasper replied, angrily.

Edward looked contrite as he said, "Sorry, Jas."

Jasper looked at him with contempt. "Whatever," he said before turning back to the TV.


	35. We Are So Screwed

35.

We Are So Screwed

Rose came out of the boys' bathroom to find Jasper sitting with Edward watching TV.

"Hey, Jas. Did ya' have a nice nap?" Rose grinned at him, but her smile died when she saw the look on his face.

"Hey, Rose." he muttered. "Yeah, I slept good. Thanks."

"Jas? Can I talk to you for a minute? In the other room." Rosalie requested.

Jasper made a huffing noise but got up and followed her back into his room. Edward watched them go, a bad feeling in his gut.

Rosalie closed the door behind her brother and motioned for him to sit on one of the beds. She sat down on the other, facing him. "What's going on, Jas?" she asked, point blank.

"What do you mean, Rose?" he hedged.

"Jasper Logan Hale! Do not make me get up in your face! I want to know what's going on with you, Edward and Emmett, and I want to know now!" She stood up, looked down at him and put her hands on her hips.

"Rose, I really don't want to talk about it." Jasper looked down at the floor and sighed.

Rosalie knelt down on the floor and forced him to look at her. "Jas, come on. You're my baby brother and I know something is going on. I saw looks exchanged, major discomfort on the ride up here, and now I walk in to see you looking like you want to either kill Edward, or someone else. Please, tell me what's going on."

Jasper sighed again, he knew he might as well tell her. She'd get it out of him one way or the other and it would be a lot less painful for him if he just spilled. "Well, on Saturday night, as you know, I was staying at Ed's, I went down to the kitchen and found Ali there, crying. She was upset because Nate called her and told her he just wanted to be friends."

Rose interrupted him, "Oh, Jas! I'm so sorry! She was really into him?"

Jasper shook his head, "No! No! She wasn't! It just made her feel bad because she thought it was because of her. She didn't know that Nate found out about her and me. Anyway, I told her again how I feel and how great I think she is, and she kissed me."

"But, Jasper! That's awesome!" Rose interjected, again, standing up.

"Rose? Are you going to let me tell you what happened, or not?" Jasper said pointedly.

"Sorry! Go on, please." Rose said and sat back on the bed.

"Anyway, she kissed me, kind of like an experiment, you know, to see if she would like it, or whatever. So, Edward walks in and she's all scared he'll be mad and he tells her it's okay, that they helped me prank her at the movies to mess up her date with Nate. Then, she starts giving me that shit about Savannah again. It's like she wants me to tell her that I love Savannah, or something. She cannot get it through her head that I didn't... you know... sleep... with Savannah because I care about her. The girl's hands were all over me and I just finally gave in and enjoyed it, ya' know?" Jasper paused to gauge Rosalie's reaction.

"So, you told her all this?" Rose asked him.

"Yeah! She thinks I still care about Savannah and want her back, but can't because she's going with Tom Justen now. I got really pissed off and said something... well... vulgar and left. Now Ali looks at me like I'm some kind of murderer, or something, and Emmett and Edward are giving me these accusing looks. I swear, all three of them think I'm some kind of depraved sex addict. If I was going to attack their sister, I'd have done it way before now." He ran his hand through his hair and hung his head.

"Jas? Did you ever think that Alice _wants_ to think that you love Savannah?" Rose suggested.

Jasper looked at her like she was crazy. "Why the hell would she do that? Unless she doesn't want anything to do with me." He looked at the floor again, "Then I'm done." he mumbled.

"No! Jas, think about it. She's young, Sweetie, and very self-conscience. For some reason, she has no self-esteem whatsoever. She's always seen all these girls checking you out wherever you go. You tell her you love her and want to be with her, right?" At Jasper's nod, she continues, "She's going to have a hard enough time believing that's true as it is, then... Now don't get mad at me," she warned him. "you blow her off to go out with Savannah again, after you tell her that you're going to break up with Savannah. If she tells herself it's because you found out you still had feelings for Savannah, it's okay, right? If not, then Ali is as big a loser as she's always thought she was. You know, second best. You get it?"

A dawning look comes across Jasper's face. "I think I do. She thinks that, if I had sex with Savannah, even though I don't care about her, that means I'd be with anyone, whether I loved them, or not, right? Including Ali."

"Well, something like that. Maybe she just thinks that you just want her back because you can't get Savannah, and Ali's the next best thing. Remember, the whole time you were going with Ali the first time, you hadn't even broken up with Savannah yet. Kind of nice to have the cute little girl next door around for making out with and your hot girlfriend for screwing, huh?

Jasper jumped up off the bed, "That's not how it was, Rose, and you know it!" He fisted his hands and glared down at her.

Rose's eyes widened and she leaned back away from him. "Jas..." she breathed.

Realization showed on his face and he loosened his fists and sputtered, "Rose! I... I'm so... so sorry! I... I wouldn't... I'd never... "

"Jasper? Is that the way you act when you're mad at Ali? If so, no wonder she's scared of you. Between your temper and her self-esteem, you'll have her hiding under the bed every time you're around."

Jasper ran both hands through his hair and clutched his head. "I'm sorry, I'm just fed up! Edward had the nerve to ask me why I was sleeping with Ali. I was laying on the other bed in case Ali woke up and I fell asleep. It pissed me off, that's why it looked like I wanted to kill Edward." He looked up at Rose again. "And Emmett, who I thought was on my side, sometimes looks at me like he thinks I'm going to attack his sister any minute! I'm just sick of all three of them! I've decided to... you know, back off and stop pursuing Ali. I'm going to act like nothing's different, but stay away from her as much as possible. I just can't take all this drama any more."

"That's it? You're just going to stop trying?" Rose gaped at him.

"Yeah. I can't take it any more. Besides, their whole family is stressed out because of me." Jasper admitted.

"You know what, Jasper? If you truly love her, like you say you do, nothing would stop you from trying to win her back. What changed your mind?" She questioned him.

"I just think she's too young. She just doesn't get it." He shook his head.

"What I think, is that you're just too impatient. If you enjoy spending time with her, then spend time with her. We had a blast at the zoo, didn't we? You don't have to be all pushy. Just be sweet and have fun. There doesn't have to be any pressure or commitment. Quit staking your claim and just enjoy being with her. Growling and snarling at her sure isn't going to help her be any more secure in her feelings for you."

"Maybe you're right. I can still spend time with her without labeling her as my girlfriend, right?"

"Sure, and then, she sees you treating her like a queen and realizes that you do really care about her, and it's all good." Rose counted off on her fingers, "One. No pressure. Two. No scary Jasper. Three. No longer afraid she'll be pushed into having sex before she's ready."

He grinned at her. "Why didn't I talk to you yesterday?"

"Because you, Little Brother, have forgotten how awesome my big sister powers are!" She smirked at him and he grabbed her up in a big hug. She hugged him back and whispered. "Just remember, be subtle, don't overwhelm her or she won't believe that you're being sincere."

He pulled back to look into her face. "Thanks, Rose. You are the best!"

They both laughed as she said, "So I keep telling you!"

* * *

Jasper got cleaned up for dinner and joined the others in the living area. Esme had woken up Alice and she came out a few minutes after him. They piled into the SUV again and Jasper tried to keep his legs and shoulders reigned in so Ali would feel more comfortable. They went to a nice restaurant up the street from their hotel and Esme told them they could order whatever they wanted.

As they were walking in, Esme stroked Ali's hair. "You hungry, Baby?" she asked her.

"Not really, Mama. But I will try to eat something."

"You haven't eaten anything all day, Ali. You're going to be skin and bones if you keep going on this way."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I'll try, I promise." She gave her a half-hearted smile and slid into the chair Edward held for her. The host that was seating them held the chair for Esme and Jasper held the chair for Rosalie. She grinned at him and nodded to the seat across from Alice. He sat in it and looked up at Ali. Her eyes widened when she saw him looking at her and lowered her eyes to the table. She looked so miserable that Rose leaned close to her and bumped her shoulder with Ali's.

"Hey, Ali! You lookin' forward to the game tomorrow? We'll have so much fun!" Rose said, trying to get her enthused. "Wanna' hang out together? We can sneak down by the dugout and see Em."

Ali got a big smile on her face. "That would be cool, Rose! We can be our teams cheerleaders and cheer 'em on."

"Yeah! We'll get Emmett and his buddies all fired up!" They grinned at each other and chatted happily while they figured out what they wanted to eat.

When the waiter came to take their order, Ali couldn't decide what to eat. "I'm getting a steak and salad, Ali." Rose told her. "You should, too. That'll give us a lot of energy for tomorrow."

"Okay! That's what I'll have, too. And Iced Tea with lemon, please." Alice handed her menu to the waiter and looked at Rose. "Thanks, Rose. I feel better." She smiled at her and Rose chuckled.

"You were on to me, huh? I thought I was being so subtle." Rose laughed and bumped her shoulder again. Alice giggled and looked forward to the next day for the first time since they'd gotten here. She grinned happily at Rose, but looked up when the waiter brought her tea and missed the grateful look Esme sent Rose.

They chatted all through dinner, the boys just as excited as the girls, and Esme was not the only one that noticed that Alice ate more than half of her meal. She sat back in her seat and sighed contently. Jasper put his head down and secretly grinned. He had to give it to Rose, she knew just how to get results from Alice. It didn't hurt that Alice thought Rosalie was the quintessential girl and admired everything she did.

* * *

Alice and Rosalie giggled the whole time they were getting ready for the game the next day. Emmett's game didn't start until 11:00 am, so they were going to go get breakfast first, then get there early to see Emmett. Rose came prepared to wow. She wore low-rider black jeans, a light teal camisole with a heart-shaped neckline and black, two-inch heeled half boots. She kept her make-up light, light pink blush and lip gloss, but lined her eyes in black to make her blue-green eyes pop. She pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and fluffed the front. Then she turned her attention to Alice.

Alice wore low-rise denim jeans, an Aqua baby T-shirt and her white Keds. Rose lined her eyes with slate liner and brushed peach shadow on her lids. She swept peach blush on her cheeks and had Alice apply black mascara to her lashes. Rose left Ali's hair loose, but she fluffed it out some so it had a controlled, but slightly messy look, almost like she'd just got out of bed. To say they looked sexy was a slight understatement so, as soon as Jasper saw them, he was instantly angry.

"Why would you dress like that to go to a baseball game, Rose?" he asked her.

"Why do you think, Jasper? To look good for the guys, of course." she answered. "It gives them confidence to have someone nice-looking to win for."

"Well, Rose, you are old enough, I guess, but Alice is not." he argued.

"Jasper Hale! It is none of your business the way Alice dresses." Rose argued back.

Esme contributed to the conversation. "I hate to say this, Rose, but Jasper is right on this one. Alice does look a little too... um... obvious? Alice, I think either a different shirt that doesn't show your tummy, or a different pair of jeans would do. Your choice."

Alice glared at Jasper and turned and went back into the bedroom to change. She changed into a Peach tank top and came back out. Her tummy was covered, but the tank was ribbed and hugged her newly developed curves perfectly. She smiled triumphantly at Jasper and fluffed her hair. He scowled and purposely looked down at her chest in a lewd way. Alice blushed, but refused to back down. Rose looked at her with a smug smile and both girls went to get in the car. In a further show of defiance, both girls sat in the back with Rose in the center. Jasper got in next to her and pouted the whole way to breakfast.

Alice and Rose had blueberry pancakes and milk, and giggled and chatted the entire time.

* * *

By the time they got to the State Final Arena, Jasper was fuming and the girls were laughing and squealing about seeing the team.

When they got out of the car, Rose pulled Jasper aside for a second. "Remember what we talked about? She looks fine, no different than any other girl here. Stop being a caveman and enjoy her. Dazzle her with your charm and don't be a dick. Have fun, Bro." She wiggled her fingers at him and walked ahead with Alice to the dugout.

The William's Bay team was warming up as they were first on the field. As the two girls approached the dugout, the boys drifted towards it one after the other. Emmett ran over and grabbed Rose up and swung her around. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and set her down. She blushed and smacked him on the arm, him grinning from ear to ear. Then he did the same to Ali and whispered to her, "You look so grown-up and pretty, Ali." To which Alice blushed and giggled and gave Em a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey! No fair!" Tony Clark cried. "Emmett gets all of the attention from the pretty girls and we don't even get so much as a 'hi'!"

The girls laughed and said 'hi' to all the other boys. They gathered around them and Junior Bradford asked them if they were coming to the party tonight.

"Oh, we didn't know about a party." Rose said. "Emmett? Are we invited to the party tonight?" She batted her eyes at him and he grinned.

"Of course, you are, Rose. It'll be a lot of fun." he winked at her and she laughed.

"Well, then, Ali and I would love to come, Junior. We'll have to make sure it's okay with Ali's mom, or course, but I'm sure she will have no problem with us coming." Alice giggled at Rose's super sweet tone of voice and Emmett looked at her and winked. Rose could command a room without even trying. She had every one of the baseball players hanging on her every word. "Well, you boys play a great game! Ali and I will be cheering for you. Ta ta!" She gave Emmett a scorching look and he cracked up. Rose tried really hard not to smirk and she steered Ali back to the bleachers.

As soon as they were out of hearing of the boys, Ali and Rose giggled and Alice said, "Rose, that was great! More than one of those boys were actually drooling!" They both giggled again, then Alice asked , "Rose? How come Emmett doesn't get mad when you talk to other boys?"

Rose looked at her confused expression and sighed. "Ali, he knows I love him and only flirt for fun. It amuses him, and all of his friends know we're together and that I'm not available. Besides, it keeps him on his toes. He knows I could replace him in a second." She laughed, but Alice still looked disturbed.

"Would you, though? Replace him, I mean." Ali looked so puzzled that Rose hugged her.

"Of course not, Ali. I love Emmett. I was just playing. He knows I don't want anyone but him. We are each others' one and only." Rose smiled dreamily.

Alice smiled and nodded.

The girls made their way up to sit by Esme. She was on her phone and the girls sat down and looked at the program they were given. It told the teams, their players, their numbers and stats.

Jasper stood by the fence dividing the field from the spectators. He was trying to calm himself down. His face felt like it was burning and his hands were in fists. He knew he was being stupid, none of the guys had even really talked to Alice, but he didn't like the way they had been checking her out.

He took several deep breaths and relaxed his shoulders and hands. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Geeze! I really need to relax." he thought. It kind of scared him how mad he got when it came to Ali and with hardly any provocation.

He saw Edward walking toward him and he turned to greet him. "What did you find out, Edward?" he asked as Edward reached him.

"Emmett said that we're all invited to a party tonight after dinner. It's kind of a camaraderie-welcome party for the teams and their families."

"Oh. Well, that sounds cool." Jasper said with a shrug.

They made their way up by the girls and Esme and sat right behind them. Jasper sat behind Ali and put one foot on each side of her. He saw her look down at his feet, but she didn't say anything or look back at him. He grinned to himself. He just liked to insure that she was at least thinking of him. He looked over at Rose when she glanced up at him with a smirk, and he grinned and winked at her. She shook her head and turned back to the field.

He just couldn't resist aggravating Ali just a little. She was just so adorable, even when she was trying to ignore him.

The game was just about over and the William's Bay team was ahead by ten runs. Everyone knew there was no way the other team would be able to beat them at this point, but the girls kept cheering them on any way. The girls had moved up by the fence half way through the game and now, Emmett was up to bat and there were two men on base. He hit it way out into left field and made it home. The score was now eight to thirteen with two batters to go, and the girls were screaming their heads off.

They had met a couple of the other players' sisters and had formed their own cheering squad. The boys were eating it up and waved and blew kisses at the girls whenever they were up to bat. Alice was having a great time and loved how the older girls were including her. She was also looking forward to the party tonight. Rose said they would be asked to dance a lot since there weren't that many girls here, so they would have a blast.

* * *

Jasper had watched Ali as much as he had watched the game. She was so cute and having a great time cheering with some of the other sisters. He had laughed at them a couple times for the cheers they had made up. They had been trying to rhyme the names of the players as they came up to bat. He cracked up when they came up with 'Dylan made a killin', and 'Junior got there sooner – than the ball'. A couple times, Esme had even laughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes. The winner though, had been 'Emmett tell 'em to cram it'. They had laughed so hard that their sides were aching. Emmett had looked up at them and grinned before hitting a home run to raise the score by three runs.

After the game, the players all shook hands with the other team and picked up their equipment. Rose went running down to the field and jumped into Emmett's arms, giving him a big kiss right on the lips. Esme laughed and couldn't believe that Rose had finally surrendered and given Emmett a kiss in public. Emmett laughed, too and swung her over his shoulder, picking up an equipment bag with the other hand.

Esme, the boys and Alice made it down to the field to congratulate the team and Emmett put Rose down to hug his mom. Everyone was in great spirits and Tony came over to say hi to Ali.

"Hey, Ali! I haven't seen you since my party. How have you been?" he asked with a big smile.

"Hi, Tony! I'm good! How are you?" Alice was genuinely glad to see him.

"I'm great! You and Rose comin' to the party tonight?" he wondered.

"Yes! My mom said we can." Ali told him.

"Well, you know all the guys are gonna' keep you busy dancing all night! Will you save me one dance?" he grinned.

Alice blushed and grinned at him. "I would love to."

"K! I'll see you then, Ali!" he waved and followed some of the other players off the field.

Jasper glared at his back. "God damn it! He knew there had been more to his attention to Ali at his party, than just being nice to Emmett's little sister." He'd been in such a good mood just two minutes ago. Now he just wanted to punch Tony and carry Alice out of here. "Grrrrrrrrrr." he growled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

It was a good thing that he and Edward were going to that party tonight. Tony could dance with one of the other girls. He wasn't touching Alice.

* * *

Esme dropped the kids off at the hall where they were holding the welcome party and told them she'd be back at 9:00. Emmett had met them outside and had them follow him inside. He grinned happily, but frowned when he saw Jasper's scowl. As soon as they were inside the door, he pulled Jasper aside.

"What's goin' on, Jas?" he asked him.

"Nothin', Emmett." Jasper declared with a stubborn look.

"I'll just ask Rose, so you might as well tell me." Emmett prodded him.

"Well, it pisses me off that you think I'd hurt Alice, for one thing." Jasper ground out.

"Jas! I never said I thought you would hurt Ali!" Emmett burst out.

"You didn't have to, Emmett! I could see it in every look you exchange with Edward. Both of you look at me like you expect me to jump on Ali any minute! I'm tired of it!" Jasper snapped at him.

Emmett looked ashamed and put his hand at the back of his neck. "Shit! Sorry, Jas. Really. Man, I don't really think that. I just, you know, worry what could happen if you two got, you know, carried away. I heard that, once you, you know, have sex, you want it all the time." Emmett stammered.

"Well, I don't think I will turn into a rabid dog, that attacks young girls, any time soon. Do you?" He raised an eyebrow and Emmett shook his head. "Yeah, me, neither, but some of your buddies do have their eye on Ali and I very well may turn into an attack dog if they start pawing her."

Emmett laughed. "Jas! She's a little girl to them. They think it's cute how she tries to act like Rose. They also think it's funny that she's leading you around by your short hairs."

"Ha! Not me! I believe that's you, Emmett, the Great. Rose has her fingers tangled so tight in yours you can't take a step without her permission!" He saw the look on Emmett's face and they both burst out laughing.

"Thanks, Jas! Now I'll have the image of Rose tangled there all night!" he groaned at the image. "God! I swear I'd give my left nut for that to happen right now."

Jasper bent over in laughter. "Emmett!" he gasped. "That's... my sister you're... talking about!"

"I know, man! I know!" Emmett choked out, still laughing. "Weird, huh? I'm hung up on yours, and you're hung up on mine! You know we're screwed, right?" He looked at Jasper with his eyes alight with laughter.

Jasper's eyes glowed and his face was still split in a grin. He and Emmett put an arm around each others' shoulders and walked into the party. "We are _so_ screwed!" Jasper agreed.


	36. Two Steps Forward, Ten Steps Back

**Author's Note: You may want to find the song 'With You' by Chris Brown if you like to listen to music while reading. I couldn't resist using it for Ali and Jas to dance to at the party. I don't usually do that, but it just fit. **

36.

Two Steps Forward, Ten Steps Back

Jasper stood by the wall watching Alice dance with her numerous partners. He knew that most of the guys realized that she was pretty young, but some of the assholes had actually hit on her. One guy almost made him lose it by trying to put his hands on her butt, but he held it together and Alice got rid of the guy after their one dance was over. He was trying really hard to control his temper and trust her to be able to take care of herself.

Jasper noticed Tony moving through the crowd and tensed. "Yep! He's headed towards Ali!" he thought. "Damn!" He started walking over to Alice to ask her to dance before Tony got there. But he got stopped for a minute by a guy carrying a tray of drinks and Tony beat him there. Why did he feel so threatened by Tony? Maybe it was because he knew Tony was a much nicer guy than he was. He knew it wouldn't work out between them, though. Tony was way too old for Ali, but they would both grow up some day and he planned to make sure Ali was totally unavailable by then.

"Hi, Ali! You sure look pretty. Would you like to dance?" Tony smiled at her sweetly and she accepted.

He led her out to where everyone was dancing. A slow song started to play, "Of course! The first slow song of the frickin' night." and Jasper rolled his eyes. Ali was a really good dancer, but she wasn't sure what to do for a slow dance. Tony showed her where to put her hands and guided her in the dance. He looked her in the eyes and talked to her like no one else existed in the room. She smiled up at him the whole time and, Jasper hated to admit it, they did look good together. It still didn't stop him from standing there with his arms crossed over his chest and a killer scowl coloring his face. The song ended and they walked off the dance floor, arm in arm. Tony took her over to the snack table and they stood talking for a few minutes.

Jasper felt a tap on his arm, he looked over to see two girls smiling tentatively at him. One took a step back, seeing the scowl on his face. "Oh! Sorry." He said, sheepishly, winning them over with his charming grin.

They both smiled at him and the bolder of the two, said, "Hi! What team do you play for?"

Turning on the charm, Jasper said, "I'm straight, and you?"

The girls twittered and Jasper mentally rolled his eyes. That was probably the corniest bit he had ever used. The other girl, a tall, curvy red-head with soft amber eyes, and even softer looking lips, said, "You know we mean which baseball team." She giggled softly.

He grinned, "Oh! Baseball team! Uh... I'm with the William's Bay team." "Not actually a lie", he thought.

The first girl, a shorter, skinny, blonde with pale blue eyes, gushed, "You guys were so awesome today! What do you guys put in your Wheaties? You're all so good!"

"Thank you, darlin'. We practice hard, eat well and get plenty of rest." he deadpanned with a twinkle in his eye.

The redhead burst out in genuine laughter, not the canned giggles they had used previously. "You are so funny!" She extended her hand, "I'm Shannon, this is Gabby. We're from Eau Claire."

Jasper shook hands with both of them, "Very nice to meet you both. How did you get the chance to say 'hi' to me? If you were from William's Bay, we'd never have given you time to meet anyone from another school. We'd be lined up for a chance to dance with you ourselves. Your boys must all be gay, or married."

The girls giggled and the blonde batted her lashes at him. "God!" he thought, "she reminds me of Lauren. Ugh!"

"Well, since I am partnerless at the moment, may I request the honor of this dance, Shannon?" He held out his hand to the redheaded girl and she gave him a brilliant smile and placed her hand in his.

He really enjoyed dancing with Shannon. When she was away from Gabby's brassiness, she was easy to talk to and very charming. She was also very pretty and had a gorgeous figure. They talked through the whole dance and, when the music was over, he took her back to where her friend had been.

"Hmmmm, I guess Gabby got tired of waiting." Shannon observed when she didn't spot her friend.

"She's over there." Jasper pointed out, as Shannon followed his direction and saw her friend dancing with Junior.

"Oh! Good, someone asked her to dance. She comes across as kind of brazen, sometimes," Shannon admitted. "but she usually doesn't lack for partners." She smiled up at Jasper. "What position do you play? In baseball, that is." He noticed a dimple in her cheek.

"Uh, I play either second base, or I pitch, depends on the day." He answered.

"Ooo! A pitcher, huh? And second base? You must have a good arm." She flirted with him.

"Not bad, I guess. I just do what the coach tells me to." He said, modestly.

"Modest, too. Wow! You must have all of the girls at your school in a tizzy. How come you're alone? Your girlfriend couldn't come up with you?" She wondered.

"Well, I'm in between girlfriends right now. Besides, William's Bay is a pretty small town, there's not much to pick from." He told her, truthfully.

"Yeah, it's a pretty nice area, though. I've been through there, and Lake Geneva, too. A lot of pricey homes and cars and boats and stuff." She pointed out.

"True, but having money doesn't mean you're automatically good-looking or nice." He countered.

She laughed, "Too true! You don't have that problem, though."

He caught sight of Ali dancing with Tony again and missed Shannon's meaning. "Uh, sorry, what do you mean?"

"You know, good-looking and nice." She blushed and looked down towards his chin.

He grinned, "Thanks, you're not so bad yourself."

She met his eyes again. "Wanna' go for a walk, or something?" she asked him.

He hesitated. He knew she really meant, go somewhere private and make out. He looked over at Alice and Tony dancing. "Um, I'd love to, but I really can't. I'm here with my sister and some friends." He looked back at her with genuine regret. "Sorry." He couldn't believe he was turning her down. "I'd love to dance with you again, though."

Her disappointed eyes turned bright again and she agreed. Jasper led her a few feet from where Tony and Alice were dancing. He could hear Ali laughing and his heart twisted a little. He tried to concentrate on Shannon, but his attention kept returning to his dark haired angel.

Suddenly, Shannon gasped. He looked over to see where she was looking and spotted Rose. "Oh my God! She is so beautiful! I wonder if she's a model."

Jasper laughed. "Naw! She's a mechanic."

Shannon looked up at him. "Yeah, right! And I'm Santa Claus."

He threw his head back and laughed. Looking back at her, he said, "Nice to meet you, Santa!"

"Seriously? She is a mechanic? Like, as in working on cars?" Her eyes showed her disbelief.

He nodded. "She also just happens to be my sister."

"Okay, I can see that." She looked back and forth between them for a minute. "And I suppose your parents are a garbage man and a waitress?"

"Well, no, actually, my dad is a doctor and my mom is an architect." He laughed at her expression.

"Then, why the heck is your sister a mechanic?" she wondered.

"I didn't say she did that for a living. She's still in high school. She bought an old Camaro and redid the whole thing herself. Well, except for the paint job. Her boyfriend, that's him over there," he pointed towards Emmett, "swears she loves that car more than him."

Shannon laughed. "For coming from such a fancy area, you guys sure are down to earth. I never would've thought that."

"Thank you, M'am." Jasper drawled, twirling her around. "We still do teach manners there in them fancy houses."

Shannon cracked up. "I thought I heard a little southern drawl in there somewhere."

His eyes twinkled, she was pretty sharp. "My dad was born in Texas, but moved here when he was about eight or nine. He still has a little bit of a twang when he wants it, but mostly my grandpa's is even gone now."

"Well, I think it's charming." She giggled. "You're a really nice guy, Jasper. Too bad we live so far apart. I'd like to get to know you better."

"I feel the same way about you, Shannon. It's nice to meet someone you can talk to." He glanced over at Ali as the music ended and caught her looking at him. She blushed and looked away, but not before he saw a sad yearning in her eyes. "Well, want to grab a drink? I'm pretty thirsty."

"Sure." Shannon said, and they walked over and got a Coke.

Jasper saw Tony and Ali walking in their direction, and he took a deep, steadying breath. He saw worry flash across Alice's face and felt a little flash of irritation.

"Hi Tony!" he said, extending his hand.

Tony shook his hand and smiled, "Hi, Jas! Long time, no see! What's up?"

"Well," he said glancing at Ali. "Not much! Just hanging out and enjoying the party." He looked at Shannon. "Tony, Alice, this is Shannon. I met her a little while ago. She's here with the Eau Claire team. Shannon, this is Tony and this is Alice. I've known them both my whole life."

"It's very nice to meet you." Shannon said, shaking first Tony, and than Ali's hands. "Are you brother and sister?" She asked them.

Tony laughed. "No. She's actually his sister." he said, pointing to Jasper. Alice looked at Tony in alarm.

Jasper shook his head and laughed, "Tony!" He looked back at Shannon. "She's not my sister. Ali is my next door neighbor. Her brother, Emmett, my sister's boyfriend, is on the team. When we were little, I used to tell everyone that Alice was my baby sister."

Shannon giggled. "That's so cute! Was he an awfully bossy, big brother, Alice?"

"He still is! Bossy, I mean." Alice laughed. She looked up at Jasper and winked. He grinned back at her.

Jasper heard the DJ announce the next few songs he was playing, "Shannon, would you mind if I left you in Tony's company for a little bit? Ali promised me a dance, so I thought I'd steal her away for a few minutes."

He grinned and Tony looked a little put out, but smiled at Ali and said, "Well, Ali, I guess I'll talk to you later." He cast a knowing look at Jasper and grinned, "Have fun, Jas."

Jasper looked down at Alice as he led her toward the dance floor. "You're not mad, are you?" He asked, grinning at her.

"No. Do you really want to dance with me, or were you just scaring the big bad boy away?" She asked him, trying to keep from smiling.

"Well, honestly?" At her nod, he grinned again and said, "A little of both."

She shook her head and laughed. "Okay. I'll dance with you if a good song comes on."

He frowned at her, "Who picks if it's good, or not?"

She just looked at him slyly, and didn't answer.

The song, 'With You' by Chris Brown came on. Jasper quirked his eyebrow at her and, at her nod, led her out to dance. Jasper looked down into her eyes and enfolded her in his arms, his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent. They started swaying to the music and Jasper began softly singing the words to her as they danced.

_"… I'm so glad to be yours, you're a class all your own. _

_And, ooh, little cutie, when you talk to me, I swear the whole world stops, you're my sweetheart, and I'm so glad that you're mine, you are one of a kind. _

_And, you mean to me, what I mean to you, and, together baby, there is nothing we won't do. _

_'Cuz if I got you, I don't need money, I don't need cars, Girl, you're my all. _

_And, oh, I'm into you, and Girl, no, one else will do, 'cuz with every kiss and every hug, you make me, fall in love, and now I, know I can't be the only one, I bet his heart's all over the world tonight, with the love of they're life who feel, what I feel when I'm with you, with you, with you, with you, with you, Girl._

_With you, with you, with you, with you, with you... _

_Oh, Girl, I don't want nobody else, without you there's no one left, and, you're like Jordans on Saturday, I gotta' have you and I cannot wait, now, hey, little shawty, say you care for me, you know I care for you, you know that I'll be true, you know that I won't lie, you know that I will try, to be your everything. _

_Yeah, 'cuz if I got you, I don't need money, I don't need cars, Girl, you're my all. _

_Yeah, oh, I'm into you, and, Girl, no one else will do, 'cuz with every kiss and every hug, you make me, fall in love, and now I, know I can't be the only one, I bet his heart's all over the world tonight, with the love of they're life who feel, what I feel when I'm with you, with you, with you, with you, with you, oh, oh, oh. With you, with you, with you, with you, with you... _

_Hey, and I, will never try to deny, that you are my whole life, 'cuz if you, ever let me go, I would die, so I won't run. _

_I don't need another woman, I just need, your all or nothin', 'cuz if I got that, then I'll be straight. _

_Baby, you're the best part of my day. _

_I need ya', Boo. I gotta' see ya', Boo. And the heart's all over the world tonight, said the heart's all over the world tonight. _

_They need they're boo. They gotta' see they're boo. And the heart's all over the world tonight. Heart's all over the world tonight._

_Oh, I'm into you, and, Girl, no one else will do, 'cuz with every kiss and every hug, you make me, fall in love, and now I, know I can't be the only one, I bet his heart's all over the world tonight, with the love of they're life who feel, what I feel when I'm with you, with you, with you, with you, with you, Girl. _

_With you, with you, with you, with you, with you, oh, oh, oh. _

_With you, with you, with you, with you, with you. With you. Only with you. _

_With you, with you, with you, with you..." _

The song ended and she looked up at him adoringly and smiled. He hugged her back to him and whispered in her hair, "Thanks for dancing with me, Ali." He looked up and noticed Tony dancing with Shannon and grinned when he caught his eye. Tony grinned back and gave him a thumb's up.

Alice sighed and snuggled into his chest, but a fast song started playing. "Uh, Ali? Wanna' dance again, or get something to drink?"

She looked up, her eyes shining, and giggled. "Something to drink sounds good."

He led her off the dance floor and back towards the snack tables. Getting them each a Coke, he handed her one and led her over to a table. He pulled out the chair for her and then sat next to her. "Are you having fun?" he asked her. At her nod he grinned. "I loved your cheers today." He laughed, "The rhyming was pretty, uh... interesting."

She grinned. "Yeah, I think we did pretty good considering some of the names we had to work with." She giggled again. "It's a good thing we didn't have to rhyme your name, huh?"

He looked surprised, "Oh, wow! That would be a hard one, wouldn't it? What does rhyme with Jasper?" He asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

"I wouldn't know!" she giggled. "Casper?"

"Oh! I'm a ghost?" he grinned. "At least I'm a friendly one, huh?"

Alice giggled at him again, he was so silly.

"How would that cheer go, any how?" he wondered. "Jasper, be like Casper, and fly to home?"

Alice dissolved into giggles. "I could just picture you, too, all bald and white."

"Hey! Maybe when I'm eighty!" he laughed. "You're so funny, Ali! Let me guess, you came up with most of the rhymes, right?"

"We all took turns, really!" she told him, still letting an occasional giggle escape. "It was fun to see what each of us could come up with."

"I bet it was! We were all laughing and we only heard the ones that you girls hollered out."

"Well, they won, so maybe our cheers helped them!" she said.

"I bet they did! The guys were loving them. I think the other team was annoyed, though." he chuckled.

"That's only because they lost!" Alice giggled.

They talked and laughed for a little while and then one of Emmett's buddies came over to claim Ali for a dance. She looked at Jasper fearfully when Matt asked her to dance, but he just smiled and told them to have fun. Seeing her safely dancing with Matt, he stepped outside for some fresh air.

* * *

Esme pulled into the parking lot a few minutes before 9:00 and saw Jasper leaning against the wall right outside the door. She walked up to him, "Hey, Jas! You okay?"

He smiled, "Sure! It just got hot in there, so I came out for some air."

He held the door open for her and followed her inside. Everything was winding down, it had been a long day, and all the players and their families were breaking into groups and leaving. Jasper spotted Emmett and Rosalie in a group of their friends.

"There's Em and Rose." He told Esme, "I'll see if I can find Ali and Ed."

"Thanks, Jasper." Esme walked over toward Emmett and Rose, while Jasper went in the other direction.

He found Edward sitting at a table with some guys they knew from school. "Hey, Edward. Your mom's here. You seen Ali?"

Edward shook his head, "We better go find her." He stood up and they went in search of Alice.

After checking everywhere, they still couldn't find her. Jasper was feeling frantic. He kept running his hand through his hair, his stomach a churning mess. "She's gotta' be here somewhere." he told Edward.

"Yeah, where, though?" Edward was feeling pretty worried himself. Alice never took off by herself. She always told someone where she was going, or stayed within sight of one of them. "We gotta' tell Mom, Jas. She could be in trouble."

"You go tell her, I'm gonna' look around some more." Jasper took off without waiting for Edward to answer. He looked everywhere again and found himself back by the food service rooms. Even though they hadn't had food service, the light was on. He pushed the door open and heard someone laugh. He walked in and let the door close behind him. "Ali?" he called. He heard some whispering and then Alice say, "Yeah?" He felt relief, anger and apprehension all at once. As soon as he saw her, he grabbed her by the arm. "Damn it, Ali! Where have you been? We've been worried sick! And who's in here with you? Huh? Some guy?" His anger had taken over and Ali cringed as he jerked her toward him.

"Jas! You're hurting me!" Alice cried.

He loosened his grip, looking horrified, and hugged her, "I'm sorry, Ali. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just... so worried. Edward and I have been looking_ everywhere_ for you. Your mom must be frantic by now."

He let her go and looked at her. "Please, don't be mad. I'm really sorry." He looked up as Tony walked out. Before he could say anything, Jasper barked, "What the hell are you doin' in here?" He looked down accusingly at Alice. "God damn it, Ali!" He turned and stalked toward the door.

"Jasper! Wait! Don't jump to conclusions!" Tony said, holding up his hands.

Jasper turned and ground out. "Fuck you, Tony! I can't believe you'd screw around with Alice!"

"He wasn't, Jasper. He was screwing around with me." a feminine voice said, as Shannon walked out from the other room. Jasper deflated right in front of their eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't come out sooner. I was in the bathroom."

Jasper looked at Ali, his eyes dismayed. "I am such an asshole. Sorry, Ali."

He looked at Tony. Tony put his hands up, again. "Jas, it's cool. I _totally_ understand. Don't worry about it."

"We came in here to hide 'cuz one of the jerks from another team was hittin' on Alice and wouldn't leave her alone. We thought we'd hide in here for a while and we got to talking. Sorry we made you worry." Shannon looked at him with regret.

"It's okay, Shannon. Thanks. I over-reacted, like I do a lot where Ali is concerned." He glanced at Alice again to see her looking at the floor. "Well, we better find your mom, Ali. She's probably called the police by now." His face was sad, his shoulders were slumped and his voice sounded defeated. He turned and held the door for Alice and glanced back at Tony with a nod, before following behind her.

* * *

"Ali! Oh my God! Where have you been?" Esme exclaimed as she and Jasper walked toward her. "You had us worried sick! I've never been so scared in my life." She hugged Alice and looked up at Jasper. "Thank you for finding her, Jasper!"

"It's okay. She was just talking with a couple friends and didn't realize how late it was." He gave her a little smile and slumped in a chair.

Jasper didn't say anything on the way back to their hotel and went to his room as soon as they got there. Edward came in a few minutes later. "What's with you, Jas?" he said, flopping on his bed.

Jasper just lay in his bed with his eyes shut.

"I know you ain't sleepin', Man. What's wrong with you?" Edward pressed him.

"Nothin's wrong, Edward." Jasper sighed. "I'm just tired."

"Bullshit! You look like someone let the air out of you." Edward scoffed, pointing to himself. "Edward, remember?"

Jasper opened one eye and looked at him. "Edward, please, just leave it alone, okay?"

Edward looked at him as he closed his eye again. "Okay. For now."

Jasper sighed again and rolled over away from him.


	37. The Perfect Gift

37.

The Perfect Gift

"Edward, is Jasper still sleeping?" Esme asked him, sitting down with a bowl of cereal.

"Um... no. He just doesn't want to come out right now." Edward paused in chewing his cereal and told her. "He... uh... isn't feeling that great."

"Oh?" Esme looked concerned, and Rose and Ali looked up at him, also. "What's wrong?"

"Oh... I think he has a headache." Edward said, shoveling more cereal into his mouth, looking down at his bowl.

Rose got up from the table and went over and knocked on Jasper's door. When there was no response, she opened the door and went in.

"Jas?" Rose said, softly. "You awake, hon?"

Jasper was turned toward the wall, buried under the covers. "Yeah," he murmured.

Rose sat on his bed. "You've got a headache?"

"Kinda'." he said.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked him.

He rolled over and looked at her. His eyes looked dull and he had dark circles under his eyes. "A gun?" he said, blandly.

"Oh, Jasper." Rose said, rolling her eyes. "Dramatic much?"

He gave her a little smile and rolled back over in his bed. "I'm fine, Rose. Thanks, anyway."

"Are you gonna' just stay in bed all day?" Rose prodded him. "Or are you going to the game with us?"

"I don't know." he answered her, his voice muffled by the blankets. "What time does Em play?"

"2:00." she told him.

"What time is it now?" he wondered.

"10:00." she said.

"Yeah, I'll probably go."

Rose sat there looking at what she could see of him. A large lump under the blankets and a shock of tangled blonde hair sticking out above them. Then she asked him, "Did something happen at the party last night?"

"I really don't want to talk, Rose, okay?" he sighed. "Can we do this later? Please?"

"Jasper, come on. We were making such progress! What happened?" Rose demanded.

Jasper turned back over and looked at her. "I was an asshole. I _am_ an asshole. I blew it. There's no hope now. Please, just let me deal with it alone. Okay?" His eyes pleaded with her.

Sympathy filled her face as she thought of what to say. "It'll be okay, Jas. I promise."

He gave her a disgusted look and turned to face the wall once more. Pulling the blankets over his head, he ended their conversation. Rosalie let out a defeated sigh and left him to his thoughts.

As she walked out the bedroom door, three pairs of eyes greeted her. "Uh... he's not feeling well. He just wants to rest for a while."

Esme looked concerned. "Does he need a doctor, Rose?"

Rose shook her head. "He's just got a... bit of a headache. He'll be okay." And she sat down to finish her breakfast.

Ali looked down at the table. She knew why Jasper wasn't coming out of his room. He didn't want to face her after the way he acted last night. She wasn't really mad at him. She kind of understood how he felt. When she saw him dancing with Shannon, she swore her heart twisted in her chest and she wanted to walk over and pull him away from her.

She used to feel jealous when Edward and Jasper would spend hours together playing video games and wouldn't include her, but the way she'd felt last night, wasn't even close to that paltry pain. She had never felt like that before and she knew it meant that she cared about Jasper a lot more than she had admitted, even to herself. She knew she loved him, she'd always loved him, but when they had danced and he was singing so sweetly to her, her heart had about burst and she'd known he was first in her heart. His temper still scared her, but she'd be willing to try to work on it with him.

Ali sighed as she stood up. She knew what she had to do. "Mom, I'm gonna' go talk to Jasper."

Esme was cleaning up some of the breakfast stuff. "Okay, Sweetie. Maybe you can cheer him up some."

As Alice walked past her, Rose put a hand on her arm. "Ali? He's really depressed. Are you sure you should go in there?"

She smiled at Rose, "Yeah, I'm sure." Rose took her hand back and continued to look worried, but she knew it was between him and Ali now.

Alice knocked lightly on the door. After a few seconds of no response, she walked in and shut the door behind her. The curtains were closed and the room was pretty shadowy, but she could see a very long lump in the bed and just a peek of sun-kissed hair poking out from beneath the blankets. Alice tried not to giggle, she knew he was in a bad way, but it was so cute how he had buried himself under the blankets. "Poor baby." she thought with a grin.

She climbed up on the bed and laid down along his back. She felt him stiffen, but she scooted up so she could bury her nose in his hair and put her arms around him. "Is that you under there, Jas?" she asked him.

He didn't move, in fact, he was barely breathing, and he held his body stiff. She nuzzled his ear next and he flinched, but didn't pull away. She pushed the blanket down a little and nuzzled his neck through his soft, silky hair. He let out a little noise and shifted, but he still didn't pull away. Alice knew it tickled him, she had done it many times before, but he was playing possum and it was all she could do not to laugh. She didn't know why he wouldn't acknowledge her, but she wasn't going to give up until he talked to her.

She placed a little kiss on his neck, right behind his ear and he shivered. She placed little kisses around his neck until she came up under his chin. She was practically standing on the bed to lean over and reach around him, but he wouldn't turn around. She leaned way over and nuzzled him under his chin and he put his chin down a little and made a noise. She pulled back and looked up at his face. His eyes were open and they were sparkling. She grinned at him. "Hi!" she chirped. He reached up and grabbed her and pulled her down on him. She giggled and tried to nuzzle his neck again, but he put his chin down so she couldn't and let out a little laugh. She smiled brilliantly at him, "Whatcha' doin'?" she asked him.

"Trying to keep this little pest from tickling me." he answered with her favorite Jasper grin.

He had his arms around her and she was laying full on him, on top of the blankets, looking down into his face. He smiled up at her. "To what do I owe this honor?" he asked her.

"Well, I heard that you weren't feeling well, so I thought I would come and see if I could help you feel better." she stated, her eyes never leaving his.

Suddenly, his eyes clouded and his smile disappeared. "Ali..." he began.

She put her finger over his lips. "Jas, I know. It's alright. We'll work on it, okay? The trust thing... and your temper."

He hugged her tightly and buried his face in her neck. "I _am_ sorry, Ali. I tried so hard not to be a jerk, to not be jealous..." His voice caught and she ran her hand through his hair and kissed his forehead.

"You were great, actually, even when I danced with Tony. You know he's just being nice to me so I'm not sitting alone, right?" At Jasper's nod, his face still at her neck, she grinned, "Of course, I don't think he'll be nice to me now."

Jasper stiffened and pulled back to look at her face. "I'm sorry, Ali. I'll talk to him. I promise!"

She laughed, "Not because of you, Jas! Because of Shannon!" Alice giggled. "They hit it off pretty well, I think. His eyes never left her after he danced with her the first time." Ali let out a sigh, stars in her eyes as she gazed at the wall. "She's so beautiful, and so nice... and he's so cute and _so_ thoughtful. They are perfect for each other." A thought occurred to Ali and she looked back down into Jasper's eyes. "You... don't, you know... _mind_ that she and Tony... ?"

Jasper shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'm happy for them. I really am." Then he grinned, and continued, "Besides, she'll keep him away from you."

Ali shook her head and laughed. "What am I going to do with you?"

He wriggled his eyebrows and grinned, "I could think of some things." At her slightly worried look, he assured her. "Nothing you don't want or aren't ready for. I swear! No pressure. No expectations."

She smiled so sweetly at him that he gulped and his chest felt like it was going to burst for a second there. "Thank you for coming in to help me feel better." he whispered.

"You're welcome." She whispered back. "Now, why don't you get your lazy, emo butt out of that bed and stop with the pity party."

He growled and flipped her over and tickled her. She giggled and gasped, "No! Jas! I can't... breath."

He stopped and grinned down at her. She giggled and smiled up at him and said, "I do love you, Jas. I love everything about you, and I love spending time with you. I just don't always know how I feel, and sometimes it's scary."

"I know, Ali. I'm sorry I've overwhelmed you. I just like being with you. I've always kind of felt like you were mine, and it's hard to... you know, hold it back, sometimes. I'm really trying, though. I am." He looked at her hopefully.

She reached up and played with his hair, looking back at his eyes, she said, "I'll try to understand and be patient. But, Jas? Just talk to me from now on, okay?"

He nodded and lowered his head to kiss her, he paused and looked at her for permission. She smiled and lifted up to meet his lips with hers. They shared a sweet, soft kiss and then Jasper pulled back. He had the most adoring look in his eyes. "I love you, Ali."

"I love you, too, Jas." She caressed the side of his face.

He lifted himself off of her and helped her up. "I'm going to get cleaned up. I'll be out in a little while, okay?"

"Alright. Take your time. We don't have to be at the field until 2:00. I think my mom was just going to let us hang around town for a while." Alice smiled at him and let herself out.

She looked at Rose, who was still sitting at the table, and Rose raised her brows and smiled at her. Ali knew she could tell by the look on her face that things had gone well. "He'll be out in a little while, after he showers." Rose grinned at her and got up and hugged her.

"I'm glad you worked it out, Ali. I really am!"

They smiled at each other and Ali said, "You do realize that this means I'll be coming to you for advice even more, right?" Rose nodded and, with a giggle, hugged her again.

* * *

"All I ask, is that you stay together." said Esme as the kids left the hotel. "And please be back by 1:15 so we can get decent seats at the game."

They all agreed and set out for a walk around the town. Jasper and Edward walked behind the girls talking about Emmett's game. Rose and Alice talked about the boys.

"So, Ali, are you and Jas going together?" Rose asked her.

Aki looked puzzled. "I don't know, Rose. He didn't ask me. I don't really remember when we went together before, but I did enjoy the dates that we went on with you and Emmett. Do you think he will ask me out again?"

Rose laughed, "I think you can count on it, Ali."

"Count on what?" Edward asked, coming up behind them.

"Me smashing your face in, if you keep nosing into our business, Eddie boy!" Rose hollered and started play punching him. She circled him and jabbed at him, taunting him, "Come on, Ed! You fight like a girl!"

Edward was laughing hard and pleaded for her to stop. "Rosalie! Please stop! My stomach hurts from laughing so hard."

Rose gave in, "Okay, Edward, ya' pansy! Next time, we will fight and I will win and you will call me, 'Rosalie, the Great'." She flung her arms out and grinned.

Edward and Jasper both laughed and Alice practically skipped down the sidewalk smiling at their silliness. She was so glad that things seemed back to normal.

"I think Em is rubbing off on her, don't you, Edward? She sounds like 'Rosalie the Annoying' to me!"

Rose walked in front of her brother and poked him in the chest. "You may be, like, seven feet tall, but I'm still your big sister and I _will_ kick your ass, _young_ man!"

Jasper put his hand up and rubbed his chest where she poked him. "Ow! See how she is? I'm gonna' have a bruise. I think I need someone to kiss it and make it all better."

Alice burst out laughing and watched as he pouted, his eyes bright with laughter.

Edward grimaced."Oh God! No, Jasper! Not in front of me, okay? Let me wrap my mind around his whole thing first." He shook his head as though he was trying to shake the image of his baby sister kissing his best friend's chest, out of his head.

"God, Edward! You are such a weenie!" Rose cried, cracking up. "Are you ever gonna' get around to asking Bella out?" She asked. "'Cuz she'll be long gone if you don't man-up soon!"

Edward blushed and his companions cracked up.

Alice was so happy. Her family was acting normally and she was having such a great time. They reached the downtown area and Ali convinced Rose to come into the first store with her. It was a small boutique and they looked through everything, Rose helping Ali pick out a beautiful, soft, crocheted cotton sarong to wear with her new bathing suit. The boys went up the road to look in some other shops, so, when the girls were done, they went on to the next store.

After the girls hit three stores, the boys came back and found them. Jasper pulled Rose aside and asked her if she could help him for a minute.

"Sure, Jas. What's going on?" she wondered.

"Well, we were in a store up the street and I found the perfect birthday gift for Ali. I was wondering if you would come with me to see what you think." he pleaded, softly. "I just want to make sure it'll be okay."

Rose chuckled. "I would love to, Jas. We'll leave her with Edward for a few minutes, okay?"

"Thanks!" he grinned. "Hey, Ed! Rose and I are gonna' run up the street so I can show her that _stuff_."

"Okay, Jas! I'll stay _here_ with Ali." He winked. Rose shook her head. They were so subtle. Not!

Alice looked from one boy to the other with a puzzled frown. "What the heck are they up to?" she thought. "Wait!" she hollered as Rose and Jasper started up the street. "I wanna' go with you!"

"Ali!" Edward cried. She turned to look at him. "Um... will you... uh... help me find a... a new shirt! Yeah! A need a new shirt! I never know what color looks good on me."

"Sure, Edward. Um... where do you wanna' look?" she watched him suspiciously.

Edward looked at her blankly for a second, then looked at the store they were standing in front of. "Ummm... Hey! How about this one?"

Ali rolled her eyes. "Alright. Let's go." She led the way into the store and led him to the men's section. "What kind of shirt are you looking for?"

"Well, one that'll make me look... you know, handsome... so Bella will go out with me." he improvised.

Up the street, Jasper led Rosalie into another boutique. This one had a variety of items besides just clothes. In a glass case, there were a few pieces of jewelry and Jasper showed her a delicate, heart-shaped gold locket inlaid with tiny ocean-colored gems all along the edge of the heart shape.

"The Alexandrite gems are an alternative to the pearl as the birthstone for June." The saleslady told them. "They are very hard to find, and somewhat expensive, but totally worth it for their gorgeous blue-green color alone."

Jasper looked at Rose. "What do you think, Rose?"

"It's beautiful, Jas! She'll love it, for sure, but how much is it?" Rose looked concerned.

"It's a gorgeous piece and well worth the price of $179.00." The saleslady informed her. "I'll even include gift wrapping at no extra charge."

"Jas! That's a lot of money. Can you afford it?" Rose asked him.

"I've got the money, Rose. I just don't have it with me. Can you help me out until we get home?" Jasper implored. "Please, Rose! I'll never find anything this great at home!"

"Alright, Jas, but you better pay me back ASAP!" She warned him.

Jasper was practically jumping up and down in his excitement. "I will! I promise! She is going to love it!"

He grinned from ear to ear and Rose couldn't help grinning back. "Just think, this morning he was so depressed he didn't want to get out of bed. Funny how another person can change your day." Rose thought as she watched him. "Thank, God Ali was finally growing up and figuring things out. She had really missed her fun, sweet brother these last few weeks."

After running Rose's credit card through her machine, the saleslady placed Ali's gift in a small red velvet box and wrapped it in pearly white paper with an intricate gold design on it. She finished it off with a gauzy gold ribbon and put it in a small aqua-colored shopping bag before handing it to Jasper. She thanked them for coming and they left the store.

"Jas, do you want me to put that in my shopping bag so Ali doesn't see it?" Rose asked him.

"That would be great, Rose. She would be suspicious when she saw the bag, don't you think?"

"Well, you could always tell her it was for mom, but after the spectacle you and Edward put on earlier, she might figure out that it's really for her." Rose informed him.

He looked sheepish, "A little too obvious, huh?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Ya' think?"

Jasper and Rosalie found Alice and Edward still looking in the store for Edward's shirt.

"Edward! That shirt is exactly what you said you were looking for!" Alice's irritated voice could be heard as soon as they opened the door.

"Ali! I don't like it, okay?" Edward shot back.

Alice stomped her foot. "Edward! You really aren't looking for a shirt, are you?"

"Alice!... "

Edward began, and looked relieved when he heard Jasper say, "Hey, you two! Having trouble?"

Alice looked at him and Rose, her hands on her hips. "Only that Edward insisted that he needed my help finding a new shirt and has not liked any of the shirts I've showed him! I don't think he really wanted a shirt, at all!"

"He did, Ali!" said Rose. "He told me this morning before you came out for breakfast."

Edward added, "I just don't think any of these are right, Ali. I'm sorry!"

"Okay, Edward. Maybe we can find one somewhere else." Ali offered.

"That's okay, Ali." Edward assured her. "I don't want to waste anymore time here. I'll just look when we get back home."

Alice looked irritated, but she agreed and the four of them went to get some lunch before it was time to head back for Emmett's game.

After lunch, Alice was in a hurry to get back to the hotel. She was too warm and wanted to change before they went over to the ballpark, and it was getting close to 1:00. As soon as they walked into the door, Alice ran into her room to change. She came back out in ten minutes and Jasper could feel his temper rising. He tried to keep calm and speak normally.

"Ali, do you think that would be appropriate to wear to the game?" he asked her, taking in the short, denim skirt and light yellow camisole top she wore.

She looked down at herself as she braided her hair, "Why? It's warm out and it's the ballpark! You know? Casual?"

He looked at Rose who shook her head slightly at him. "Sorry, Ali. I just thought you might be chilly in that. You're right, it's probably okay." He gave in, looking at her with a frown, secretly hating the fact that every guy there would be checking her out. He told himself that they would be checking her out no matter what she wore, so he would try to be patient.

Rose smiled at him. "He was learning, finally!" she thought.

The ballpark was packed when they got there, but they managed to get seats together on the bleachers. The team William's Bay was playing was the team from the hosting town, which explained the crush of spectators, and the girls received a lot of scowls when they started cheering again. They were having a lot of fun and being really silly, and soon, most of the people were laughing with them. Some of the girls that were with the other team, even started cheering with them, too.

It was a really close game and no one knew who was going to win before the last few minutes of the game. William's Bay squeaked by with a two run win and the team went crazy. The girls were jumping up and down, and Emmett hopped the fence to get to Rosalie. He grabbed her up and swung her around and carried her back down onto the field. Alice watched, giggling at Rose's face. Rose was pleased that Emmett was so happy, but she wasn't too keen about being hauled all over.

Jasper came down next to Alice. "I can't believe that Rose is putting up with that! Normally, she would've kicked Em's butt by now." He shook his head and laughed.

Alice looked over at him and then back at the field. "I guess you put up with a lot when you really care about someone." she mused.

Jasper looked over at her, "Yeah, I guess you do." he agreed.

~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~ x ~ o ~

(Web page address to view a sample of **Alexandrite**, if you are interested.)

http:/www**{dot}**jewelsforme**{dot}**com/Alexandrite-Jewelry**{dot}**asp?ad=google&gclid=CMfB1JzzlqICFQfxDAodlWWjVg


	38. Learning Control

38.

Learning Control

After everyone calmed down following their close win, Coach Meyer invited Esme and the kids to join the team for dinner. They had a reservation at a local pizza place and they all crowded around several tables put together. Rose sat next to Emmett and he spent the first few minutes catching up with her.

The coaches ordered several assorted pizzas and reminded the boys to let the ladies go first. Each of the girls took a slice of pizza and poured themselves a glass of Coke. As soon as they were done, the boys attacked the pizza and began talking and joking. Coach Meyer and his Assistant, Coach Larson, conversed with Esme and the time went by quickly.

The girls had a great time, being the only two girls there, and having the boys vie for their attention. Emmett just laughed, but Jasper was barely hanging on to his temper. He sat next to Alice, but no one seemed to acknowledge that she was with him and they flirted with her and fought over who was going to pour her more Coke. He gritted his teeth and put his arm around her on the back of her chair. He looked over at Emmett to see him grinning at him with a knowing look. He was going to have to ask Emmett how he put up with his girlfriend always getting so much attention from other guys.

After everyone was finished eating, the team all filed out of the restaurant and starting walking back to their hotel. Esme pulled Emmett aside, "Honey, have a good night. We're going to get the car and head back to our hotel." She went to give him a hug, but he asked her if he could stay with them for the night. "It's fine with me, if it's okay with your coaches." said his mom.

"I'd just like to spend some time with you, Rose and everybody," he said. "Coach Meyer won't care and I'll be here in time for warm-up."

Emmett ran over and talked to the coach and then hurried back to Esme. "He doesn't mind, but I need to get some stuff from my room."

"Okay, why don't you go get your stuff and I'll drive the car over and pick you up." Esme told him.

"Okay! See you in a little bit!" and he ran off.

Esme laughed and her and Rose shared an amused look. As big and independent as he liked to act, they both knew he was missing being with his family.

There wasn't enough room in the SUV for everyone, and Emmett wanted to sit in the front with Rose on his lap, but Esme made Rose sit in the back with Jasper and Edward, and Alice sat on Jasper's lap. Jasper was happy, and kept smirking at Emmett. They got back to the hotel and Emmett jumped in the shower while everyone else got comfy. The girls decided they were going to watch a movie and the boys wanted to hang out in their room and play video games for a while.

The boys had fun catching up and Emmett told them about some of the awesome pranks they had pulled on each other at the hotel. The boys were cracking up and they were all just enjoying being together again. Then, Emmett said, "Hey! Did you guys see Rose's face today when I carried her onto the field? Oh my God! I thought she was gonna' kill me!" The three of them laughed.

"I was surprised that she _didn't_ kill you!" Jasper said. "By the way," Jasper added, as Emmett looked at him, his eyes twinkling. "how do you, you know, keep from getting mad when, ah... you know, all the guys are, well... hitting on Rose?"

Emmett would've laughed, he had seen the anger and desperation on Jasper's face at the pizza place, but he looked so clueless, that Emmett gave him a break. "Well, Jas, think of it this way, she's with you, right?"

Jasper looked puzzled, "Uh... yeah?"

"Well, Dummy, she ain't with any of them." He looked at him like it was obvious, but Jasper just had a blank look on his face. Emmett grabbed him and gave him a noogie.

"Emmett! Come on, Man! I'm serious!" Emmett let him go and he tried to fix his hair.

"Jas! Dude! If she wanted one of them, you'd be the one hittin' on her, right?" He still looked blank. "Okay, look, if she didn't want to be with you, she wouldn't be. Out of all the guys, she chose you. If she didn't, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it any way. Just sit back and watch them all wishin' they was you, ya' know? 'Cuz, at the end of the night, she's leavin' with you, not any of them."

He grinned, "Oh! So, the whole time, you are sittin' there thinkin' how lame they are for hitting on Rose, wishing they were you, 'cuz she belongs to you. Right?"

Emmett laughed, "Well, I don't know if she _belongs_ to me, but, yeah. It's the best feeling, ya' know? Here she is, all gorgeous and awesome, and they're all trippin' over each other trying to get her to notice them." His eyes took on a gleam as he kept talking. "I walk up and her eyes light up and she's happy to see me. She gives me a kiss and they all just, like, deflate. I feel their pain, ya' know, but I'm the one who gets to drive her home. I'm the one she kisses goodnight. I'm the lucky fucker she chose, so who am I to deny them being able to flirt with her for a little while?"

Jasper looked thoughtful. "Yeah, it's not like they're gonna' be able to steal her from you, 'cuz she loves you, right?" His eyes brightened.

Emmett just laughed and shook his head, "For being such a smart guy, Jas, you sure are one dumb jerk." Jasper glared at him but, with Edward and Emmett laughing, he couldn't help but grin.

After about an hour, the boys got bored and decided to see what everyone else was doing. They walked out into the living area and Esme was sitting on the couch with a book and a cup of tea. "Hey, Mom, are the girls sleeping already?" Emmett asked.

"I think they're watching a movie, Em." she answered him, looking down at her book.

Emmett turned a devilish grin on the other boys, and they grinned back. One of Emmett's favorite things to do, was aggravate the girls. They headed toward the girls' room and Emmett carefully opened the door. He peeked in and saw the girls each laying on a bed watching '17 Again' with Zac Efron. He turned and whispered to the other boys and the three of them walked into the room.

"Oh my God!" Emmett exclaimed. "It's Zac Efron! He's so hot!"

"He just makes me quiver! He's so dreamy!" Jasper added, in a girly voice.

"Sigh! I wish he was mine!" Edward squealed.

The girls looked at them with irritation, but then busted out laughing.

Emmett jumped on the bed with Rose and said, "Ooooooo! I can't wait to see him in his basketball shorts. His legs are soooooooo sexy!"

Edward laid on his stomach next to Ali and put his face in his hands. "Oh Ali! Isn't he soooooo handsome? His eyes are just, so, you know, beautiful!" He rolled his eyes at her and batted his lashes.

Jasper was bent over laughing and the girls were giggling. "You guys are idiots! You know that?" Rose asked them. "You all wish you were as good-looking as Zac Efron!"

Jasper pouted, sticking his bottom lip out. "Ali! You think I'm cuter than him, don't you?"

She looked like she was deep in thought, trying to decide. "Well... you are pretty cute, but... I don't know, Zac is really hot! Hmmmmm..." Rose cracked up and Jasper scowled. Ali grinned up at him and he couldn't help but grin back. He laid down on the other side of Ali and the five of them finished watching the movie.

Jasper couldn't really concentrate on the movie. He was too aware of Alice laying next to him. He loved how she smelled when he leaned toward her slightly and he loved how soft and shiny her hair was. He loved how cute her giggle was, and he loved how curvy her little body was getting. She had really changed over the last couple months, popping out in all the right places and even gaining more confidence. Her voice sometimes had a soft huskiness to it that made his toes curl when he heard it and she blushed adorably when she now understood the innuendos in their jokes. He wasn't exactly sure when his feelings for her had changed this last year, but he was ultra aware of her whenever she was around. She was like an obsession for him now, and he didn't know if that was good or bad, but he was determined not to mess up this time.

Sensing him looking at her, Alice tensed up. She could feel the heat coming off him as he lay next to her and, though she didn't turn her head to actually look at him, she was aware that he was looking her over. She felt a slight tug on her hair and knew he was rubbing a lock of it between his fingers. She heard him draw in a deep breath and realized that he was smelling her. She was alarmed at this, it seemed a little stalkerish, but she knew he really cared about her. Maybe it was a boy thing. She looked over at Emmett and wondered if he smelled Rosalie. Glancing at Edward, she wondered the same. Did he smell Bella? Was liking the way a girl smelled part of what made them attracted to her?

There was so much she didn't know and she wished the boys weren't here so she could ask Rosalie. She understood that Rose didn't know everything, but she would at least try to figure out whatever Alice wanted to know. Finally, she turned her head slightly so she could peek at Jasper. He had a lock of her hair between his fingers and, with his eyes closed, was holding it up to his nose. She looked back at the TV and shivered. She felt a strange feeling in her stomach that moved down between her legs. She shifted a little and felt Jasper drop her hair. Pretending to be absorbed in the movie, she concentrated all her attention on him and wondered what he was doing now. Not sensing any movement, she chanced a glance at him to find him staring directly at her, his eyes lit by an inner fire.

Her eyes widened a little and he grinned at her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Wanna' go for a walk?"

She hesitated, where the heck were they going to walk to? He was looking at her expectantly, so she agreed. He got off the bed and helped her up.

"We're gonna' stretch our legs a little." Jasper told the others.

Emmett piped up, "I wanna' come, too!" and started to get off the bed.

Rosalie smacked him upside the head. "No you don't! Lay down and watch the rest of the movie."

He laid back down, pouting, while Jasper and Edward snickered. Rose looked over at them, and grinned. She loved how they always laughed when she put Emmett in his place. Jasper mouthed, "Thank you!" to her and led Alice out of the room.

Esme was still on the couch with her book. She looked up when Ali and Jasper came out. "Hey, you two! How was the movie?" she asked.

"It was okay." said Jasper. "We're a little stir-crazy, though. Do you mind if Ali and I go for a little walk. We'll stay right outside the hotel."

Esme looked a little worried for a moment, but gave her consent, "Just don't walk away from the hotel. And, stay together!"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. We'll stay together." They put their shoes on and Jasper led Alice out the door and into the hallway. "Come on, Ali! Let's get some fresh air." He took her hand and they walked outside. He led her around to the side of the building and, turning her, pressed her up against the wall. She felt alarm and looked up at him. He lowered his mouth and kissed her urgently, running his hands up and down her sides. He moved his lips to her throat, just below her ear and murmured, "I've been needing to do this ever since we came in to watch that damn movie." He nibbled her ear and sucked on her earlobe.

Alice felt like she had been punched in the stomach and lost her breath for a second. Then she felt a throbbing heat between her legs and shivers down her thighs and her knees felt wobbly. She clung to Jasper's arms and felt as though she couldn't stand on her own if she tried. Jasper pulled her closer and put his lips on hers again. He deepened the kiss and his hips moved forward to press her back further against the wall. Her hands had a mind of their own and moved up to curl into the soft hair covering the back of his neck. Jasper moaned and slid his hands down to cup her butt. He pressed her tight against his growing hardness and Ali gasped. Jasper quickly slid his tongue inside her mouth and she felt like she was being consumed. An overwhelming panic started to take her over and she tried to fight it down, but it began to claw at her throat. She tried to turn her head to the side, but Jasper wove one hand through her hair and forced her to keep her head still. She began to pant and her hands moved down to push against his shoulders. He finally moved his mouth to just below her ear and she rasped, "Jasper! You have to stop!"

He shook his head and took her mouth again. She couldn't breath and felt the panic building inside her. Her rational mind knew she wasn't in any danger, but the panic wouldn't subside. She tried one more time to slow him down by pulling her mouth away. "Jasper! Jas! Please! Please listen to me." she begged, as his hands ran all over her back. He was kissing down toward the neckline of her shirt now and his hands moved back to her butt to urge her against him. He began to grind himself against her and, though it didn't hurt, she felt sick to her stomach. Even through the material of his jeans and her skirt, she could feel how big and hard he was. He moved back up to her mouth and she turned her head away and yelled, "Jasper! Stop it!"

Jasper froze and moved back a little. He turned her face back to him and searched it with his eyes. Alice could see remorse in them, but the fire was brighter and she knew he was having a hard time gaining control of himself. She could still feel his hardness against her and tried to shrink away from him, but the wall prevented her from getting very far. Her stomach jolted and she was mortified to discover that she might not be able to stop herself from getting sick. She pushed against him and he moved away from her so that only his hands were clutching her arms. "Ali?" he whispered, but she couldn't answer him. She slid down the wall to sit in the grass and put her head in her hands. She couldn't stop the revolt of her stomach and moved her hands down to clutch at it.

Jasper moved to sit next to her on the grass. His breathing had finally calmed some and he talked to her softly. "Ali? Are you okay?"

She shook her head, still with her head down. "I feel like I'm going to be sick." she mumbled.

Jasper blanched. Making out with him made her feel like throwing up? "What the hell?" he felt his temper rising. He adjusted his pants and sat back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "You feel like throwing up?" he ground out, trying to control his temper.

She nodded her head and moaned. "Great!" he thought. "Just great!" He finally got her back, and now she tells him that his kisses make her feel like she's gonna' puke. "I don't understand. Why do you feel like you're going to throw up? Is making out with me that disgusting?" he demanded to know.

She raised puzzled eyes to his and saw the anger there. "No, Jasper. Of course not! I'm just not used to, you know," she lowered her eyes again and blushed. "_feeling_ you."

Understanding dawned on him. Alice had been repulsed by his erection pressing against her. He couldn't help it, the damn thing had a mind of its own, but he wasn't going to say he didn't enjoy the way the contact with her warmth had felt.

His face softened, he was still unhappy with her reaction, but he knew she had no control over her response to him. He stroked her hair. "It's okay, Ali. Try to take a couple of deep breaths and relax a little. She laid her head on his shoulder and took a couple deep, steady breaths. He felt her relax some and rubbed her arm. "Better?" he asked her.

Alice nodded, she did feel better. That weird, sick feeling in her stomach was almost gone and she didn't feel nauseous any more. She turned her head to look at Jasper. He gazed back at her wondering what was on her mind. "Sorry, Jas." she whispered, lowering her eyes in embarrassment.

He lifted her chin so she was looking at him, again. "Hey, it's not your fault. It's my fault, I got carried away. I'm the one who's sorry." He grinned at her. "I confess, I had the urgent need to kiss you when we were watching the movie and I couldn't fight it off anymore. I'm not sorry I did kiss you, though. It was awesome!" He chuckled and she grinned.

He stood up and he helped her as she stumbled to her feet. Her legs still felt wobbly and she still felt a light throbbing sensation up her middle. She looked worriedly at him and he raised his eyebrow at her. "You still feel sick?" he asked her.

"A little. I have this weird feeling in my stomach, almost like a warm, I don't know, throbbing? And my legs are all wobbly still." She put her hand to her lower abdomen. Jasper snorted and her head flew up, her eyes snapping at him. "You think it's funny that I feel sick?" she haughtily asked him.

He smirked at her and lowered his head so that his mouth was at her ear. "You don't feel sick, my angel. You're turned on." At her blank look, he continued, "You know, horny." She gasped and looked at him as he chuckled again.

"I am not! How dare you say that!" She pulled away from him. "You're the one who's... who's... horny! You... you... man whore, you!" She was sputtering at him now and he couldn't help it, he cracked up.

"God! Ali, you are so frickin' cute!" She made a huffing sound and clenched her fists. He pulled her against him and hugged her.

She stood rigid within his arms and wanted to kick him in the crotch, the big, jerk. He released her, still chuckling and she slapped him on the arm. "You are a big... jerk, Jasper Hale!" She turned, angrily and started to stalk away, but he grabbed her and spun her back around. He bent over so he was at her eye level.

"I'm sorry, Ali. I am! I just can't help it! You are so adorable! My whole heart aches for you and I just find myself smiling for no reason. Don't be mad, please!" he tried to give her the charming Jasper grin, the one with the dimple and the cocked eyebrow and everything, but she just scowled at him. He stuck out his lower lip and pouted, giving her his best puppy dog look. "Ali!" he whined. "Please don't be mad!"

Her lips twitched and she gave him a soft smile, "You are such a pain!" she groaned.

He grinned back at her and said, "I am right, ya' know. You were horny." and he laughed as she wheeled around and marched back to the hotel, him hot on her heels.

Jasper felt like a million bucks. He had gotten Ali all hot and bothered, and she was so pissed that he called her on it, she wouldn't even talk to him. The bad part, though, was that he didn't dare tell Edward. He had shared everything with Edward all his life, the bad and the good, but how do you talk to your best friend about something like getting his little sister hot for you? You don't. Not unless you have a death wish!

He couldn't even discuss it with Emmett, and he and Emmett could usually talk about anything. Well, maybe not him and Rose making out, but anything else. "Oh well, I can always talk to Rose if I need to." he thought, practically dancing behind Alice as she stalked down the hallway to their suite.

Alice opened the door and let it close in his face. He snickered and pushed it open and followed her inside. He closed and locked the door behind him and heard a door slam as he turned into the room. He snickered again. Boy, was she pissed. He couldn't help but grin. She was into him, he knew it, and now, she knew he knew it. He now fully understood what Emmett meant about feeling confident when other guys flirted with Rose. She wanted him. She wouldn't be looking at any other guys any time soon. He said goodnight to Esme and strode into his room.

Emmett and Edward both looked up. "You're looking mighty smug." Edward commented.

Emmett laughed and gave one of the many knowing looks he had given him today.

Jasper grinned, stopped outside the bathroom door, and said, "She wants me."

Emmett chuckled and he went into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Edward shuddered. "Oh God! Why does it have to be Ali? I can't handle him talking about her like that."

Emmett laughed, "Eddie, grow a pair! At least we know him really well and know he'll be good to her. It's better than some stranger."

Edward shuddered again, "I guess you're right."

Jasper came back out of the bathroom in his pajama bottoms and T-shirt, his eyes twinkling and a big grin on his face. He jumped on the bed with Edward and starting humming 'I'm Bringing Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake and Edward groaned, "God help me!"

Emmett and Jasper cracked up.

Rose looked up as Ali came into the room and slammed the door. She cocked an eyebrow at her as she noticed her bright eyes and messy hair. "Uh, Ali? You okay?"

Alice turned her furious face toward Rose, "Do I look all right?" she snapped.

Rose looked shocked, Alice had never talked to her like that before. Alice looked contrite, "Sorry, Rose. I'm not okay. Jasper is a jerk and I just want to beat him." she gritted out.

Rose got off her bed and walked over to put her hand on Ali's arm. "What happened, Ali? Did he hurt you?"

Alice shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "He asked me to take a walk with him and he... he just... attacked me! He started kissing me and I couldn't even breath. Then he pressed his... " Ali blushed. "Well, you know. I felt sick to my stomach and I thought I was going to throw up and he said I wasn't sick, I was... turned on." She whispered the last part and turned bright red. "He is such a jerk! I wouldn't be turned on by him, ever!" She was panting she was so angry and the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Rose hugged her. "It's okay, Ali. If you were 'turned on', and I'm not saying you were, there is nothing wrong with it." She pulled back to look into Ali's eyes. "That's part of love, ya' know? You just have to decide how you want to deal with it. Do you want to, you know... act on it? Or wait until you feel you are ready. Don't let him rush you, Ali."

Alice straightened her shoulders and a determined look came over her face. "I am not going to be doing _anything_ with Jasper Hale. You can bet on that! He can go... jump in the lake!" She plopped down on the bed and wiped angrily at her tears. "Why does he always have to ruin everything, Rose? He's such a... a... _boy_!"

Rose laughed and sat next to her on the bed. She pushed Alice's hair off her face. "Ali, try to be patient, okay? He's young, full of hormones, and he just won back the girl he loves. He's so happy. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time. Please try to understand, please?"

Alice looked up at her pleading face, then she looked down at her knees. "I suppose I can understand that he's really happy and just got carried away." she said. Then she looked up at Rose again, her face serious. "But I am not going to be alone with him any more. Not until he can prove that he can keep his hands to himself!" she stated.

Rose smiled, "I agree, that's a good plan. I'll try to make sure that you aren't ever alone, okay? He'll learn, you have to train 'em, just like a puppy." Ali giggled and Rose continued, "You know, 'Sit, Jasper!', 'Stay!', 'Keep your hands to yourself!', then you teach him to beg."

Alice cracked up and Rose grinned at her. "I love you, Rose!" Ali said, giving her a big hug.

"I love you, too, Little Sister!" Rose hugged her back.

The next day, Esme took the kids out for breakfast. When the girls came out of their room, the boys were waiting on the couch and Jasper grinned at Ali. She blushed and stuck her nose in the air, ignoring him. Beside her, she heard Rose sigh, but she couldn't stand that smug look on Jasper's face. He reminded her of the caveman she was always calling him and she didn't even want to look at him.

Jasper was amused at first, but as they went to breakfast and she still wouldn't acknowledge him, he felt his temper rising. He had only been teasing her. Sure, he'd been full of himself when he realized what she was feeling, and it had been so cute that she didn't know what it was herself, but, geeze, she acted like he had killed someone, or something.

Emmett didn't play until 5:00 pm that day, so Esme decided to take them to the water park located just outside of town. The girls put their suits on under their clothes, and the boys wore their swim trunks and a T-shirt. They all grabbed their beach towels and piled into the SUV. Alice sat on Edward's lap before her mom or Jasper could say anything, and Jasper scowled the whole way there. Emmett chuckled and Rose sighed, and Edward looked bewildered. What had he missed? Esme smiled watching all of their faces. She didn't know what was going on between them, but she was always amused by their little dramas. They always worked it out , so she wasn't worried.

They pulled into the parking lot of the water park and all started chattering at once. It was much bigger than they expected and they were excited. They filed into the park, carrying their stuff and found chaise lounges to leave their stuff on. Esme pulled out her book and sunscreen and set herself up for a pleasant day of relaxation. Alice decided to hang out with her for a while and pulled her book out of her bag, as well. The boys yanked their shirts off and slathered sunscreen on quickly so they wouldn't waste any precious time. Rose made Emmett hang back and help her with the lotion before grabbing his hand and following behind Jasper and Edward. As they all rounded the corner to a huge slide, Jasper chanced a glance back at Ali. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile before looking down again. He felt hope and smiled as he ran after the others.

Ali closed her book and turned over on her lounge chair. She felt so lazy and closed her eyes. Esme stood up and said, "Honey, I'll be back in a few minutes. Do you want something to drink?"

"No, thanks Mom." Alice said as she folded her arms under her head for a pillow.

Alice dozed for a little while but woke up with a start when she felt something cold and wet hit the hot skin on her leg. She turned over, squinting in the bright sunlight and saw Jasper standing above her, soaking wet. "Um... Ali? Do you... would you... want to come... you know... slide with me?"

Alice sat up on her chair. "I don't know, Jasper. I'm more comfortable staying here with my mom."

Jasper frowned. "Alice, I won't touch you, okay? I'm sorry I got carried away last night. I just missed you... kissing me. I won't tease you, or anything. Just come play with us, please?"

Alice thought about it for a minute when her mom came back. "Hey, Jas! Are you having fun?" she smiled at him.

"Yeah!" he smiled back at her. "The slides are great! I'm trying to get Ali to come try them out."

Esme looked at Alice, "Ali, Honey, you should go. We aren't going to be here a whole lot longer. Maybe another hour? Go have fun."

Alice agreed and got up to follow Jasper. He grinned at her. "You'll love them, Ali! I promise!"

Alice was a little anxious. She knew Jasper thought she didn't go on the slides with them because she was still upset with him, but she actually was not crazy about water slides. They were usually really tall and closed in, and she felt scared that she would get stuck and wouldn't be able to get down. She bit her lip as she spotted the others waiting for them. Rose looked at her apprehensively, and then smiled when Alice reached them.

"I'm glad you decided to come with us, Ali!" Rose welcomed her. "We have been having so much fun!"

"Yeah, Ali!" Emmett agreed. "You're missing out by reading all day. You can read any time!"

They walked over to get in line for the slide and Jasper stood behind her. He looked down at her and discovered that he could see down her top a little. He quickly looked away, but he wanted to look back so bad. He felt like a pervert always checking her out, but she was so frickin' beautiful that he just couldn't stop himself. They reached the stairs to the top and he admired the way her suit clung to her butt as she went up the stairs ahead of him. He didn't want to think about what he might be able to see by looking a little further up. He looked down at the steps as they climbed, trying not to think of her like that, but, by the time they got to the top, he was having trouble keeping himself from becoming aroused.

"Maybe I am addicted to sex." he thought with a worried frown. "I sure think about it enough." He looked up at Ali and forgot all about his 'problem'. Her face was white and she looked scared. "Ali? You don't have to go down, if you don't want to." he said, gently.

She looked up at him with wide eyes and tried to smile. "I'm not sure if I can go down. It's so high. Will they let me back down the stairs, do you think?"

He looked back down behind him and saw that the stairs were pretty well blocked by kids waiting their turn. She would not have an easy time getting back down, especially as small as she was. He didn't think he could get through to take her back down, either.

He looked back at her and she cringed. "I knew it. I can't get back down, can I?" She bit her lip and clenched her hands together.

He laid a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay, darlin'. I'll help you, okay? Don't worry."

She laid her head on his chest and sighed, "Okay." He stroked her back and felt her relax a little and prayed the line would go fast. Finally, they reached the mouth of the slide. Jasper felt her shaking a little and tried to reassure her. "It'll be okay, sweetheart, I promise you."

The attendant motioned for them to go, and Jasper sat down and pulled Ali down to sit between his legs. She stiffened up and pushed back into him and he wrapped her in his arms. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Trust me, sweetheart. It'll be over quick." She had her hands on his thighs and she squeezed them and closed her eyes as he pushed off. They went barreling down the slide together and Jasper tightened his arms around her. She opened her eyes and saw the water swirling below them and actually enjoyed the sensation of hurling down the tube while held safely in Jasper's arms.

She let out a giggle and she felt him chuckle against her back. They went flying out of the tube into the water at the bottom. They flew apart and went under the water. Jasper broke the surface and immediately started looking for her. She bobbed up a few feet in front of him with a big smile on her face. He came towards her and she met him and jumped into his arms, laughing.

"That was great!" she cried. "Oh my God! We have to do it again!"

He laughed as she grabbed his hand and hauled him through the water to get in line again. She was chattering excitedly the whole way up and eagerly sat down when it was their turn. She looked up at him and patted the floor behind her. "Come on, Jas! Let's go!" she urged him.

He sat down with a chuckle and she cuddled her back immediately into his chest. "I could get used to this." he thought as he pushed them off the platform into the slide, and wrapped his arms tightly around Ali's warm, wet body. He wanted to bury his face in her hair, but the force of the slide had him leaning away from her. He pulled her closer to his chest and enjoyed her giggles and the excitement of flying down the slide.

After they went down again, Alice asked Jasper if he would like to try a different slide. They saw Emmett and Rose just get in line at another slide a little way across the park and decided to join them. Alice ran laughing over to them, Jasper close on her heels. "Isn't this fun?" Ali exclaimed.

Rose laughed at her and smiled up at Jasper's ecstatic face. "Having fun, Jas?" she asked knowingly. He grinned at her, and her and Emmett laughed. They all looked down at Ali to see her dancing from foot to foot, excitement making her eyes sparkle.

Emmett called an end to the day about an hour after they had joined up with Jasper and Ali on the slides. His stomach was growling and he knew it must be after lunchtime. Ali protested and wanted to go again, but they all complained that they were hungry and went back over by Esme. Edward was sleeping on one of the lounge chairs and Esme was standing there looking around.

"Oh good! I was just coming to find you. It's time to go for lunch and let Emmett get some rest before the game tonight." she said. Emmett wrapped Rosalie in her towel and grabbed his to start drying off. Jasper did the same for Alice and pulled his shirt over his head. Esme gently shook Edward and told him it was time for lunch and they made their way to the car.

They decided to get something to take back to the hotel since they were all wet and went through the drive through at Wendy's. At the hotel, they ate and went to get cleaned up and then laid down for a little nap before Emmett had to be back with his team.

The game was awesome and William's Bay whipped the pants off of the team they played. The boys were in a great mood and went crazy on the field. They had two more teams to play and, if they won both games, they would be the state baseball champs.

During the game, Ali sat next to Jasper and they held hands. They both smiled when they saw Shannon coming towards them. She sat with them and they introduced her to Rose, Edward and Esme. After the game, she said goodbye and her and Rose went down to the field. Edward was talking to Esme and Jasper looked adoringly down at Alice.

"Having fun, Ali?"

She met his eyes and grinned. "This has been the best day! Thank you, Jasper." She lowered her eyes shyly.

He raised her chin with his finger and, when she met his eyes with hers, he said, "It was my pleasure, Love." He was so glad that she wasn't mad at him any more. He vowed to try extra hard not to upset her because, he had realized, that her happiness was the only thing that made _him_ truly happy.


	39. Rose's Champion

39.

Rose's Champion

William's Bay had made it through to the fourth day. Today, the last four teams would play for the chance to compete for the championship tomorrow. Everyone was starting to get nervous and Emmett tried to keep their confidence up. He had to admit he was a little nervous, too, and he wished his dad could've made it. His dad always knew how to build up his confidence and helped him believe he could do anything if he worked for it.

Emmett pulled out his phone and dialed his dad. He wasn't able to reach him, but he left him a message that he missed him and wanted to say 'hi'. He sighed and started to put his phone away, then decided to call Rose.

"Hi, Rosie." he said when she answered.

Hey, Em! You sound down, what's wrong, baby?" she wondered.

"I'm just getting a little nervous about tomorrow." he said. "I'm not feeling very confident."

Rose laughed. "What about today?" she asked.

Emmett was hurt that she would laugh at him. "I can't believe you laughed at me, Rose. That's not very nice, and what about today?"

"Well," she said, "you said you were nervous about tomorrow. How are you feeling about today?"

"Uh... well, fine, I guess." Emmett scratched his head. "Why do you ask?"

Rose laughed again. "Rose... " Emmett protested.

"I'm sorry, Em. You're so funny, though." Rose giggled. "Listen to yourself. Your confidence is low and yet, you're not worried about today. In fact, you're worried about tomorrow, but you haven't even won today, yet."

"What's your point, Rosalie?" Emmett sounded angry.

"Baby, you're pretty confident that you're going to make it to the championship play-off tomorrow. You're already worried about it, yet you haven't even won the game today! You don't play tomorrow if you don't win today! I would say that's being confident, wouldn't you?" She giggled.

He laughed, sheepishly, "I guess you're right, Rosie. Sorry!"

"You're so cute, Emmy." Rose giggled, again. "Don't worry about tomorrow. I'll give you a lot of kisses for good luck, okay?"

Emmett sighed, "I wish you were here right now, Rose."

"Emmett, I'm going to see you in two hours." She continued, suggestively. "Maybe I can get your mom to bring me over early so I can give you some... _good luck_... before the game today."

Emmett made a gulping sound. "You know you're killing me, right?"

Rosalie laughed. "You're such a drama queen, Emmett! Be patient. I promise, it'll be worth waiting for."

Emmett groaned. "God, Rose! At least I'm not nervous about the game any more."

Rose chuckled, "See? I always make everything better, don't I?"

"Yeah!" Emmett guffawed, "But I won't be able to be seen in public in my baseball pants now."

They joked and laughed for a few more minutes, then one of his teammates said it was time to go eat, and they said goodbye.

"I love you, Rosie."

"I love you, too, Em! Can't wait to see you!" Rose blew him a kiss and they hung up.

Ali had been listening to their exchange and Rose looked over at her. "Emmett's confidence is faltering a little. I think he's getting homesick, Ali."

Ali looked concerned. "He probably misses Dad. Too bad he couldn't get away from the hospital." Ali sighed, "We'll just have to work extra hard to motivate him."

Rose gave her a devious look, "Good idea, Ali!"

"What?" Ali looked at her blankly.

"We 'motivate' them! Come on! We have to go shopping!" Rose grabbed Alice's hand and started for the door.

"Rose! You're not going to get me in trouble, are you?" Alice asked.

"Of course not, Ali! Would I do that?" Rose smirked and Alice rolled her eyes.

The girls told Esme they were going downtown for a little while and would be back in time for Emmett's game at 2:00. The other boys were occupied in their room, and Rose was relieved when they were able to slip out before the boys realized they were leaving.

Rose purchased all of the items they would need to get the team riled up and they made their way back to the hotel. Alice was a little apprehensive about Rose's plan, but she said she'd go along with it if Rose really felt it would help the team.

The girls took their bags into their room with them and said they'd be ready to leave soon.

Rose pulled two of Emmett's XXL William's Bay red and black T-shirts out of her suitcase and dumped the contents of their shopping bags on the bed. She picked up the black permanent marker she bought and started writing across the shirts. Then she got out her make-up bag and made her and Alice up, then teased their hair and gave them just-out-of-bed hair.

They undressed down to their bras and panties and slipped black tank tops and black, spandex bicycle shorts on. They pulled the huge red T-shirts over their heads and put the skinny black belts they bought around their waists.

Rose's shirt came half way down her thighs. The shirt was a little longer on Ali since she was so small, but they both achieved the desired affect. The belts cinched the shirts to show off their curves and the neckline fell off one shoulder, revealing the tank top strap below. You couldn't see the shorts, so it looked as though they didn't have anything else on under the shirt. Rose put on her black heels and handed Alice the pair she had bought her in town. They put on dangly earrings and bracelets, and they were ready.

Alice looked in the mirror and knew there was going to be trouble. Jasper was going to have a fit. She looked too trampy for him and he wouldn't like Alice wearing this to the game. "Rose? Uh... I don't think Jas is going to let us out of here without having a fit."

Rose looked at her, "You're right! Damn!" She snapped her fingers and her face brightened. "I've got an idea! Here, we'll take off the earrings and brush your hair out a little, and you can wear Em's coat. Just tell him you're chilly. Then, when we get to the game, take off the coat."

Alice gnawed her lip. "I don't know, Rose. He is so scary when he is mad at me like that."

"You know, Ali, just because you are going with someone, doesn't mean they own you. Jasper has no right to tell you what to do all the time. Stand up for yourself now, because I guarantee you, it will only get worse. If your mom thinks its okay, then Jasper has nothing to say!"

"I _am_ fully covered and Jas never said anything about us going together... " Alice told her.

Rose chirped, "There you go! See? He'll just have to deal." She looked smug and Alice felt torn between wanting to please Rose and the team, and not making Jasper mad. "I'll tell him for you, Ali, if you want. I told you, you gotta' train him!" She grinned and started for the door.

"Rose! What about the jacket?" Ali asked.

"The hell with it, Ali! You're right, you're fully covered." Rose confirmed. "Your bathing suit shows more than that shirt." And she walked out into the living area giving Ali no choice but to follow.

Alice entered the outer room nervously. Rose was getting a couple of bottles of water out of the fridge for them to take to the game and the boys were watching TV. Her mom was sitting on a stool at the counter between the living area and kitchen and noticed Ali's outfit. "Ali! You and Rose look so cute! Do you think heels are the best choice for a ball game, though?"

Alice looked over at Rose for help. "Oh, Ms. Esme, we just wanted to look a little dressed up since this is such an important game. We figured that we would show our support for the team. Emmett is feeling a little down, I think because his dad isn't here."

Esme looked thoughtful, "Well, I have a secret, but you girls can't tell Emmett." She looked over her shoulder at Edward and Jasper. "You shouldn't tell those two, either. They might slip."

"We promise! We won't tell Emmett or the Gruesome Twosome!" Rose said excitedly.

Esme laughed at Rose's favorite nickname for the two younger boys. "Rose!" she admonished. "Anyway, your dads are going to try to come up for tomorrow's game, if the boys play. Rose, your mom can't make it, she's in Chicago, but I think the boys will be happy to see your dads, huh?"

Both girls got big smiles on their faces. "Oh! That'll be wonderful! Emmett will be so happy!" Alice whispered excitedly.

"Are you gonna' call them tonight, Ms. Esme?" Rose asked.

"Yes, I've been calling them every night and sending them pictures, so they are really thrilled to surprise Em."

All three of them grinned in anticipation and Alice danced a little.

The boys walked over, "What's going on?" Edward wanted to know.

"Nothing. We're just excited to get going to the game." said Esme, winking at the girls where Edward couldn't see.

Jasper looked at the girls and his eyes narrowed. Alice looked at him and held her breath. "Here it comes," she thought. "And in front of my mom, too."

Jasper opened his mouth to scold Alice for what she was wearing, but he noticed the fear in her eyes when she looked at him, so he closed his mouth and tried to look normal. It wasn't that you could really see anything. It was what you imagined not being able to see, that made the outfits too risque, in his opinion. Then he spotted the high heels and his mouth tensed. He looked accusingly at Rose, but she gave him a challenging look and he decided to let it go.

"Remember what Emmet said... " Jasper told himself. "She's with you because she wants to be." He wasn't going to blow it over some stupid T-shirt that didn't show anything, anyway. He turned away and grinned, he was _so_ getting the hang of this.

They got to the field a little early and the boys were taking a break from warm-ups. Rosalie went down by Emmett, dragging Alice with her. "Hi, Baby!" she squealed when she saw him. Emmett's eyes lit up and he met her half way and gave her a sweet kiss.

"I missed you, Rose." he said, and then noticed what she was wearing. "You look hot! What? Are you trying to distract us, so we lose?" he asked her, grinning.

She smiled charmingly up at him. "Of course not, Silly!" She turned around. On the back of the shirt, she had written in big, bold letters, 'Team Motivator'. She motioned for Ali to turn around, as well.

Emmett's laughter rang out and some of the other boys made their way over to them. Most of them smiled when they saw the girls, and some of them leered at them, but they all wanted to win to impress the pretty girls who dressed up in their shirts to motivate them.

One of them called out, "What do we get if we win?"

Rose giggled, "You get to play in the Championship game tomorrow."

"How about a kiss? The guy who gets the most runs should get a kiss when the game is over." Another player called out.

Rose looked at Emmett's scowl. "That better be you, Hot Shot." Rose told him sternly, poking him in the chest with her finger. "I'm not kissing anyone but you." Emmett grinned at her again and gave her a big hug.

"What about Ali?" One of the other guys called out. "She could give the winning kiss!"

Alice blushed and looked at the ground. The guys all laughed and Emmett said, "You just keep your kisses between yourselves, ya' big pussies!" They all started ribbing each other and Emmett winked at the girls before the team was called over by the coach.

Right away, William's Bay scored a home run with the very first batter. The girls screamed and cheered and the boys were grinning from ear to ear. The game went pretty well with Emmett's team scoring sixteen runs by the fifth inning, and the opposing team only scoring three. The girls made sure to show their support for every player as they came up to bat, or made an exceptional play. The guys were eating it up and blowing the girls kisses and bowing to them. Rose's plan was working, and it looked like Emmett's team was going on to one more game.

By the end of the game, the score was 23 to 17 and Alice had a sore throat from cheering. The girls ran down to the field to congratulate the team and Nick Compton asked Rose when she was gonna' award the kiss for the most runs.

"Right now!" she crowed, and gave Emmett a big kiss right on the lips in front of everyone.

The boys cheered and Emmett actually blushed, which got the boys really razzing him. Spirits were high, so it was a while before the coach was able to round the team up to get them back to the hotel. Before they left, Emmett reminded the girls of the celebration cook out that night on the beach, and ran after his team mates.

Esme took the kids back to their room so they could all change for the beach party. They made sure to put on jeans and T-shirts since the night air by the lake still tended to be chilly, even though it was June, and they grabbed blankets and their jackets. Jasper was glad to see the girls dressed normally, but he was not looking forward to having to compete for Alice's attention. He was so glad that tomorrow was the last day.

Esme stopped at the store and bought some snacks and some soda pop and ice for the big cooler they had brought. The coaches had gotten hot dogs, buns and condiments, and the head coaches wife had baked five pans of Brownies.

They arrived at the lake and unloaded their stuff. Emmett came running over to help and soon, the other boys had followed and taken everything from the girls. The girls grinned at the attention and grabbed the blankets out of the car. Jasper scowled but didn't say anything. Edward gave him a questioning look and Jasper just shrugged.

Coach Meyer and some of the boys had built a bonfire and Coach Larson was setting up a table to put all of their food and supplies on. Rose and Alice laid out the blankets on the sand around the fire and asked if there was anything they could help with. Receiving confirmation that their help was not needed right then, the girls strolled around talking to the teammates and some of the other family members who had come up for the last two games.

Matt Davidson came over to greet the girls. "Hi Rose! Who's your friend here?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

Rose laughed and Alice grinned at him. "Matt! You know who I am!" Alice accused, giggling.

Matt scratched his head, pretending to try and remember her. "Hmmmmmm... Nope! Don't know ya'!"

The three of them laughed. "Ali, you are such a beautiful girl. I can't believe how much you've changed this past year." Matt finally said.

Alice blushed and smiled. "Thank you, Matt! You're so sweet."

Jasper overheard this exchanged and scowled. "Yeah, he's sweet all right. Ha! If she could only hear what he's probably thinking." He thought.

A couple of the other guys came over to greet the girls and Jasper bit his lip to resist walking over there.

"So," Matt leaned toward Alice with a grin, "you still giving out the kiss for second most runs?" He wiggled his eyebrows as Ali giggled. Jasper tensed up and fisted his hands, watching her.

"I suppose that's you, huh?" Ali teased. At his nod and goofy grin, she giggled. "Sure, why not!" She put her hands on his arms and stood on her tiptoes as he leaned down, and she kissed him on the cheek.

Matt laughed, as the other guys who had gathered around, cheered, and he put his hand on his cheek. "I'll never wash this cheek again!" he breathed as he pretended to swoon.

Alice and Rose giggled, the team laughed and Emmett grinned as he cast a look over his shoulder at Jasper. Jasper was fuming, but relieved that Alice had only kissed Matt on the cheek.

Matt held out his arm, "May I escort you to get something to drink, M'lady?" he asked gallantly, and Alice put her hand on his arm and let him lead her away.

Emmett scowled at Jasper as he walked over to him. "What the fuck, Man? You gonna' just let some other guy attend to her?"

"What should I do, Emmett?" Jasper asked angrily. "Go over and act like a caveman and drag her away by her hair?"

"Dude, walk over and say something sweet like, 'hi baby' and give her a kiss." Emmett advised. "Stake your claim, Man. How's a guy supposed to know she's taken, if her guy is just standing around ignoring her?"

"What about her?" snapped Jasper. "Ain't she supposed to tell him she's taken? Not just go off with him like she's single?"

"Jas, how's Ali supposed to know what to do? She just thinks Matt is being nice to her 'cuz she's my sister. She doesn't realize that he's hittin' on her. For some reason, she's not aware that guys think she's hot."

Jasper looked thoughtful. "Okay, just go and say something sweet, huh?"

"Yeah, and kiss her cheek or put your arm around her.' Emmett said. "Even better, bring her a drink. It'll send the message loud and clear."

"All right, I'll do it. Thanks Em." Jasper said with a grateful smile, and went over to get Alice a Coke. Walking back toward Ali and Matt, Jasper heard Matt ask Alice out.

"Ali," Matt said, "would you go out to a movie, or something, with me when we get back home?"

Alice looked surprised. "Matt? You wanna' take me out?" At his nod, she was at a loss for words. "Um... well... I don't know. I... I think you... might be a little too... old for me."

"I'll be sixteen in August, Ali, and you're what? Thirteen?" Matt stated. "That's not even three years difference. I gotta' say, I can't believe you don't already have a boyfriend. You're so pretty and fun to be around."

Alice looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you, Matt! There is someone I really like, but he hasn't asked me to go together, yet. I couldn't date someone else knowing that I like him, though. Sorry."

"Well, if he never gets around to it, I would love for the chance to get to know each other better." He ran his finger along her cheek and smiled at her.

Jasper moved forward, pretending not to notice how intimate Matt was being with Alice. He put his arm around her, said "Hi, Angel." and kissed her on the cheek. Alice looked surprised to see him, but he went on, "I brought you a Coke. I'd have gotten you a hot dog, but they're not done, yet." Then he looked at Matt. "Hey Matt! Great game today! You kicked ass! Man, I can't wait to play with you guys next year!"

Matt looked at Alice and then at Jasper. "Thanks, Jas! Yeah, next year should be great with you and Edward on the team." He looked at Ali with regret, "Well, Ali, it was fun talking to you. See you guys later, okay?"

"Later, Matt!" Jasper called.

"Okay, Matt. Nice talking to you, too." Alice said and turned to Jasper. "Thanks for the Coke, Jas. Um... That wasn't very subtle, you know?" she told him.

"Hey, I was polite and friendly." he told her, trying to keep his temper under control. "Besides, Emmett said I should stake my claim so the guys know that you're taken. It's not fair to them to think you're available and get their hopes up."

"Stake your claim?" Alice asked incredulously. "Jasper Hale, you need to grow up. You practically attack me last night, then you're all sweet today, then you don't say a word to me all evening at the game, and now, you're 'staking your claim'? I don't remember you even asking me if I wanted to go with you, or anything." She put her hands on her hips and glared up at him.

Jasper looked around to see if anyone was looking. He looked back down at her, "Could we do this somewhere else. Please?"

"Why?" she demanded. "So you can save face in front of 'the guys'?" she said, making quote marks with her fingers.

He stared into her eyes intently and gripped her arm. "No, Alice. So we don't make a scene."

He led her away from where they were, off to the edge of the party site. She followed along, reluctantly, and pulled her arm out of his grip when he stopped walking.

He looked down at her and couldn't help thinking how adorable she looked all pissed off at him. He didn't want to fight with her, though, so he didn't dare smile at her. "Ali? I'm sorry about last night. I will work on controlling myself. You turn me on so bad, it's really hard to resist you. Just the way you smell makes me want you." Her mouth fell open in shock, so he continued. "That surprises you? Why do you think all of these guys are always looking at you and flirting with you? You think it's just because you're one of only a couple of girls here? You think these guys would chance getting Emmett pissed off at them because they just want a girl to flirt with?" She just continued to stare at him with wide eyes. "I wish you could see yourself the way we see you. You're beautiful, Ali." He reached out to stroke her hair, then moved his thumb to run across her lower lip. "You are so special to me. I can't stand the thought of some other guy stealing you away from me. Will you go with me? You know... go steady, or whatever?"

She smiled up at him. "Yes." she said, shyly. He smiled at her and gave her a hug. She hugged him back and giggled.

He looked down at her, "What?" he asked, still smiling.

"I guess you staked your claim." she laughed.

He chuckled, "I guess I did." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I'm such a jerk at this relationship stuff. I am trying, I promise. If I do something stupid, or don't do something I should, please tell me, okay? I want to make you happy."

She beamed with pleasure, "I want you to be happy, too, Jas."

"Wanna' see if the hot dogs are done?" he asked her. She nodded and he held out his hand for her. She took it and they walked toward the fire.

The beach party was a lot of fun. Everyone sat around the fire eating and laughing. They sang songs and talked about the game and what they were expecting for tomorrow. Jasper sat on a blanket with Alice, and Emmett and Rose. Edward and Esme sat on a blanket with the head coach and his wife, and they all had a great time. Alice started feeling tired and Jasper pulled her in front of him and sat her down between his out-stretched legs so she could lean against his chest. She relaxed against him and he saw Matt look over longingly. He looked away before Matt saw him, and he almost felt sorry for the guy. He gazed down at Ali snuggled against him and reminded himself how lucky he was.

The next day, everyone was a little stressed out. This was the biggest game of the week and the team was feeling the pressure. Emmett grinned thinking about Ali and Rose dressed in his T-shirts yesterday. He wondered if they had anything planned for today. Even if they didn't, he would just be happy that his family was here.

He looked up at the bleachers, but none of them were here yet. "That's weird." he thought. They were usually here by now. The game was due to start in about fifteen minutes and the stands were filling up.

Back at their hotel, everyone was rushing to get out the door. They piled into the cars and got to the ballpark with ten minutes to spare. Emmett spotted Jasper and Edward walking up the bleachers and was relieved that they were finally here. He turned back toward his teammates and his eyes opened wide and a huge smile spread across his face. He took off running and grabbed onto his dad in a huge hug. "Dad! I can't believe you're here!"

Carlisle chuckled and joked, "Too bad you're not happy to see me." Emmett looked at him and smiled. He let go of his dad and grabbed hold of the man standing next to him.

"I'm so happy both of you could make it!" he said as he squeezed Jackson. "You guys are the best!" He was so excited that the two most important men in his life had taken the time to come to his game.

Jackson grinned, "Did you really think we would miss the most important game of your life, so far?"

"But, how did you get away? Don't you have patients?" Emmett wondered.

"We kept our schedule clear for today and had a friend of ours fill in at the hospital." Carlisle told him.

"What if we hadn't made it to the play-off game?" Emmett had to ask.

Carlisle and Jackson looked at each other and grinned. "We weren't worried, Em." said his dad, chuckling.

"Nope! Didn't doubt you'd be playing today for one minute." agreed Jackson.

The coaches called the team together and Jackson and Carlisle told Emmett they'd see him after the game. The men made their way up the bleachers to Esme and the kids just as the game began.

William's Bay was playing the team from Wausau, and everyone was anticipating a really good game as both teams were pretty well matched.

Emmett was even more determined to win now that his dad and Jackson were here. "Talk about being motivated!" he thought, grinning. He had loved how Rose and Ali had put so much effort into spurring the team on the day before, but nothing could beat the surprise he got today. He inspired his teammates with an enthusiastic speech before they all ran out onto the field, cheering.

The girls made their way down to the front, to cheer for the team, again, and their dads chuckled at their devotion. The game was too close for comfort and William's Bay fell behind by four runs. With only two innings left, Emmett started to feel a little panicked. He looked up at Rose desperately and she threw him a kiss. He reached up to wave and she licked her lip suggestively. He grinned. It really didn't matter all that much if they won, or not. He was still a champ in Rose's eyes.

Emmett gathered his team around him. As the captain, it was his job to keep them going. "This is it, guys. We have two innings to prove that we are the rightful state champs. In our families' eyes, we are already champs, so win or lose, they already think we are the best. Let's get out there and win, and show them that we are worthy of their faith in us!"

The guys ran out onto the field screaming and yelling. They let Wausau get only one run and lined up to bat. Emmett kept up the motivating talk and they scored four runs to bring the score up twelve to thirteen.

William's Bay was in the field and Alice told Rose she was going to get something to drink. "Okay, Ali. Want me to come with you?" Rose asked.

"No. Stay here for Em. I'll be right back." she told her. Alice walked over to the concession stand and waited to order a Coke. As she was waiting, a woman approached her.

"Mary?" she asked. Alice looked at her blankly. "Oh, sorry! I thought you were someone else. You look exactly like my mom's friend, only younger."

"Really? Does she have any kids?" Alice asked her.

"Naw. She's always lived alone." the woman told her. "I haven't seen her in a long time, but I can't believe how much you look like her."

"I wonder if we're related?" Ali asked. "Where does she live? What's her name?"

"Her name is Mary Brandon and she lives just north of here in Appleton." The lady answered. "Do you have family in Appleton?"

Alice looked thoughtful, "I really don't know. I was adopted as a newborn."

"Oh! Well, maybe you're related to Mary, after all."

"I guess I could be, huh?" Alice mused. "Maybe I can contact her and ask her."

The concession worker handed Alice her Coke and she thanked the woman for the information.

"Good luck, honey!" she said, and stepped forward to place her order.

Alice was excited as she walked back to Rose. What if Mary Brandon was related to her? What if she were her birth mom? She loved Esme and Carlisle with all her heart, but she had always felt different and wondered about her real family.

"Who was that woman, Ali?" Rose asked her when she got back.

"Huh?" Alice said. "Oh! I don't know. She thought I was someone else."

"Oh." said Rose, turning back to the game. "The boys struck out Wausau with only two runs. If they get four more runs, they win!" Rose told her, excitedly.

Alice turned to watch as William's Bay came up to bat, but she was still distracted by thoughts of a possible connection to Mary Brandon.

The bases were loaded with Emmett on second, and Matt up to bat. There was only one out and Matt was their second best player. Rose crossed her fingers, they really needed a good hit to bring the runners home.

The pitch was thrown and Matt swung. "Strike one!" the umpire called. Matt stepped out of the batter's box. He took a couple practice swings and, just before he stepped back in the box, Alice couldn't stand the anxiety any more and yelled out, "Come on, Matt! You can do it!"

Matt looked up and grinned at Alice. He pointed at her and blew her a kiss. Alice blushed and smiled at him as he stepped back into the box.

Up in the stands, Jasper stood up when he saw their exchange. "God damn it!" he thought. What the hell was Matt doing? He had made it very clear that Ali was his.

Whack! Matt hit the ball and it flew across the park. The crowd went wild and all three runners came in. Matt rounded the bases and, when he hit home plate, he stopped, pointed at Ali and put his hand over his heart. His teammates came out and swarmed around him, but not before he saw Alice smile shyly at him.

Everyone in the stands were screaming and cheering, except Jasper. William's Bay had just won the State Championship, but all he saw was Matt hitting on his girl. She's appeared to like it, too, from what he could see. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since she said she'd be his girlfriend, and she was flirting with some other guy. This whole, 'learning to control his temper' thing, was gonna' be a lot harder than he thought.

Rose watched as the team hugged each other and jumped around. She was so happy for them. They had really earned their win and had worked hard for it. She saw Emmett break away from his teammates and approach the fence where she stood. She grinned at him and, grinning himself, he hopped over the fence and landed next to her. She threw her arms around him and they hugged.

"Congratulations, Emmett! I knew you guys would win!" she told him, beaming with pride.

"You were my inspiration, Rose." he said, kissing her sweetly. He pulled back and they smiled into each others eyes. "I love you, you know?" Emmet told her.

"I know!" she grinned at him. Then, her eyes widened as he reached into the pocket of his uniform and pulled out a ring. "Emmett!" she breathed.

"Rose, I know we're too young to get married, but will you wear this ring as a promise to wait for me until we're old enough to do it properly?"

"Oh, Emmett! Oh my God!" she squealed. She threw herself into his arms and covered his face with kisses. The crowd let out a collective, "Awwwwwwww!" and then burst into applause. Emmett looked up at the stands and grinned, while Rose blushed and hid her face in his chest. He lifted her in his arms and carried her back down to where his teammates still celebrated. When they got to the field, the guys all cheered for them and the rest of the spectators crowded onto the field behind them.

Carlisle and Jackson looked at each other, stunned, before breaking out into grins and patting each other on the back. Esme stood looking at them in astonishment, shaking her head, and Edward watched all three of them, a big grin on his face.

Jasper was already approaching Alice where she stood by the fence. When he reached her, he just stood there for a minute looking at her. She sensed him there and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, Jas! Wasn't that romantic?" she breathed.

He didn't know what to say. He hated ruining her happiness, but her exchange with Matt was eating him up inside. "Um... yeah, it was. I'm happy for Emmett. The state championship and the girl he loves all in one day."

Alice laughed. "Well, it's not like he didn't already have Rose. She loves him just as much as he loves her." She giggled.

"What about you, Ali?" Jasper couldn't help but ask. At her blank look, he elaborated. "Do you love me as much as I love you?"

She looked at him for a second before giving him her answer. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. "I don't know how much you love me, Jas," she told him, looking him in the eyes, "but I do know that I love you more than anyone." She saw his pleased look just before placing her lips to his and kissing him deeply.

All of the sudden, they both froze as one. They pulled back and looked at each other with wide eyes, then turned to look up into the stands where their fathers stood watching them with their mouths hanging open in surprise.

"Oh, shit!" Jasper said.

Down on the field, Emmett watched in amusement. Rose laughed at his expression. "I think you're enjoying Jasper's panic a little too much, Em."

Emmett looked at her, amusement coloring his eyes. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time, Rose." he laughed. "Anyway, let's forget about your brother for now. Give your champion a kiss."

And she did.


	40. Break Down, Dead Ahead

**Author's Note: I know I promised this chapter a couple days ago, but I was not expecting it to be so difficult to write. I went back and forth on how it should be done, so I hope you agree with the way I went. I know Alice seems really immature in this chapter, but I wanted to show how naïve and vulnerable she can be, especially without sleeping or eating for over 24 hours. I hope you enjoy it! :o) **

40.

Break Down, Dead Ahead

William's Bay had won the State Baseball Championship! There was a lot of hugging and cheering and the team was ready to celebrate. All of the excited fans hurried down onto the field to congratulate the players. Jasper and Alice stood like statues as their parents walked past them, Jackson cocking an eyebrow at Jas as a promise of things to come.

The trophy was presented to the coaches and team captains. Emmett was grinning from ear to ear, as pictures were taken and congratulations were given. Rose clung to Emmett's arm, pride and love evident on her features, and he looked down at her every few minutes just to bask in her glow.

Afterwards, they said their goodbyes to Emmett, as he was traveling home with the team the next day, and Jackson and Carlisle decided to take Esme and the kids out for dinner before starting for home. They hadn't said anything to Alice or Jasper yet about seeing them kiss, but the kids were consumed by dread, not knowing what to expect. All during dinner, they worried and, Alice couldn't eat. She just kept stealing glances at the adults and then at Jasper. Jasper just kept his eyes glued to his plate the whole time he was eating. Everyone else ate and conversed as though nothing had changed, laughing about how sweet Emmett was and how great the game had been.

When they went back to the hotel to get their stuff, Ali and Jas expected to be sat down for a talk, but it never came. The suspense was killing them and they couldn't even talk to each other about it.

The kids were in their rooms getting their stuff together so Carlisle and Jackson used the opportunity to question Esme.

"Why didn't you tell us about Jasper and Alice, Esme? That came totally out of nowhere!" said Carlisle.

"Because I didn't know anything about it, either, Carlisle! They haven't been acting any different than they always do. Jasper is always with Ali, holding her hand or hovering over her. There was never any indication that their relationship had changed. I'm as shocked as you are!" Esme told him in an exasperated voice.

Jackson shook his head. "Man! Did you see their faces when they remembered where they were? They were keeping it from us on purpose. Why would they do that?" Jackson asked, bewildered. "Did you also notice that none of the other kids seemed shocked?"

Carlisle and Esme nodded, then Esme added, "You know, I did notice something going on with the kids during the drive up here, but I just figured there was a disagreement, or something. There was never any sign that Ali and Jas were... what? Dating? Together?" She shook her head with a puzzled look on her face. "She's so young..."

A door opened and the boys walked out with their bags. Jasper and Edward both had a worried looks on their faces, but would not meet their parents' eyes. Finally, the girls came out and Ali's eyes immediately went to Jasper's face. He wiped the worried look off his face and smiled at her reassuringly. Carlisle turned away so the kids wouldn't see him smile at the way Jasper always tried to protect Ali, but Jackson and Esme saw it and Jackson smirked. Esme rolled her eyes, "Damn men were enjoying this way too much."

"Well," Jackson said. "everybody got everything?" At their nods, he ushered them out of the suite and toward the cars. Esme and Carlisle hung back for a minute.

"Esme, are you upset about Jasper being involved with Ali?" Carlisle asked her carefully.

She shook her head. "Not really, they've always been close, but I am concerned about her being so young."

"I agree." Carlisle told her. "I know Rose and Emmett were dating at her age, but Rose definitely doesn't let Emmett boss her around." He chuckled, but still looked concerned.

"Ali is so naïve." Esme agreed. "Jasper is a good boy, but he's still a boy, _and_ he's older. I hope he doesn't take advantage of her need to please." She chewed her lip, worry in her eyes.

Carlisle took her in his arms. "Don't worry, My Love. We'll talk to him."

She gave him a squeeze. "Don't be too hard on him, Darling. You know I have a soft spot for Jas. He's so considerate and caring."

"We won't, Sweet. Be careful driving home." He kissed her and picked up her bag, escorting her from the room.

As they were about to get in the cars for the three hour drive home, Jackson suggested that Jasper ride home with him and Carlisle. Jasper blanched and looked desperately at Esme for help. She smiled encouragingly at Jasper and, shoulders slumping, he got into the car.

Alice looked worriedly at him as she got in her mom's car, but didn't get the chance to say anything to him. She pulled out her phone to text him.

_Sorry, Jas. I should be with you. I kissed u!_

_Luv, Ali _

She chewed on her lip, worrying about what they could be saying to him. Would they forbid them to date? She knew the dads would probably say they were too young, but Emmett and Rose had been together since eighth grade. Of course, Ali wasn't sure when their parents had found out about them, and Rose was a lot more independent than she was. Rose also wasn't exactly daddy's little girl. Jackson doted on her, but she made it perfectly clear that she was in charge of her own mind. Alice, on the other hand, had never really gotten the chance to be in charge of anything. Being the youngest, with an older sister and three older brothers always bossing her around, she'd always just done what she was told.

Ali's phone buzzed.

_Don't worry, I enjoyed it! ;-)_

_Luv u! ~ Jas_

After about an hour of agonizing over what Jasper was going through, Ali succumbed to the pull of exhaustion, and fell asleep. In the other car, Jasper sat in the back seat alone while his dad and Carlisle conversed in the front seat. So far, nothing had been said to him about the kiss, in fact, they hadn't really said much to him except to ask him if he'd had a good time this past week. His head was starting to ache and he finally laid his head back on the seat and dozed off himself.

Carlisle turned to look at Jasper in the back seat and saw that he was out cold.

"He's sleeping." Carlisle said.

Jackson looked at him and grinned. "Did you see his face when we told him to ride with us?"

Carlisle grinned back at him and they bumped knuckles. "You're terrible, Jax. The poor kid probably messed his pants."

Jackson chuckled. "Well, if he's gonna' be kissing our Ali, it's better he's still afraid of us. They're so young and neither of us want to worry about what could happen. He'd better treat our baby girl right, or he'll be sorry."

Carlisle laughed, and, catching himself, glanced in the back to see if he'd woken Jasper. Seeing him still asleep, he continued the conversation. "All I know, Jackson Hale, is that you've been razzin' that kid for years about Ali and now that it's finally happened, what can you say?"

"I guess I just didn't expect it to happen so soon, especially after Jasper started seeing that Savannah." Jackson answered. "I figured he'd notice her some time during high school. I'm thinking maybe, when she was in the hospital, he realized how much he cared about her. Remember how he wouldn't leave?"

Carlisle looked a little sad, remembering. "Yeah, poor kid. He was really shook up. Thank, God, she came out of it okay."

Jackson nodded, remembering that terrible time, then brightened up. "We're gonna' have some gorgeous grandkids, huh?"

Carlisle couldn't help it, he cracked up and Jasper stirred in the back seat. Carlisle quieted down and scolded Jackson, "Dang, Jax! Don't get ahead of yourself! I'd like Ali to officially turn thirteen, at least, before you start naming the grandkids!"

Both men laughed quietly and looked at the young man sleeping in the back. "When should we 'meet' with him?" Jackson asked Carlisle.

Carlisle looked thoughtful. "Well, we should probably do it yet tonight so the poor kid doesn't worry all night."

"You're such a softie, Carlisle!" Jackson chuckled. "You're right, though, he's a good kid and I don't want him up all night worrying, either. How about we do it as soon as we get home, as long as he's awake, that is."

"What about Ali?" Carlisle asked. "What do you think we should say to her? She obviously was a willing participant since she initiated the kiss." He was happy that Alice was finally taking charge and not letting others bully her all the time, but that _had_ been a shock. His baby girl was growing up.

"I suppose we should say the same things we said to Rose when her and Emmett became 'more than friends'." Jackson looked at Carlisle with a smirk. "Of course, Ali is nothing like Rose. Rose would just smack Em upside the head if he tried anything." he laughed. "Ali is way too sweet and trusting. She's also way too eager to please, especially where Jas is concerned. I guess we should emphasize that she is in charge and shouldn't let herself be talked into anything."

"That sounds good, besides, Jas has always been so protective of her, I don't think he would do anything to hurt her. We'll just remind them that we're watching."

Jackson laughed. "I guess I should've had another daughter for Edward. Poor kid has always been a fifth wheel. When we were planning our families, I never really thought we'd be sharing grandkids as well as yards." Both men chuckled and gave silent thanks that they had been so blessed.

* * *

About thirty minutes from home, Jasper woke up. He immediately remembered where he was and why. He didn't know why his dad and Carlisle hadn't said anything to him yet, but the waiting was worse than if they had just yelled at him and got it over with. He wondered how Ali was. He didn't think that Esme would discuss anything with her in front of Rose and Edward, but he figured she'd get talked to as well.

Poor Ali. He should've just left her alone until they were older. Why couldn't he control himself? He'd never had problems before. He'd always been a good kid, never fighting or being disrespectful in school. He always got good grades and had a lot of friends, and he was pretty good at sports. Suddenly, he starts getting these feelings for Ali and he's fighting, losing his virginity and terrorizing Ali all the time. What the hell was wrong with him?

He looked out the window and realized they were really close to home. "Great! Maybe we can get this over with." he thought. He didn't know exactly what they would say, but he assumed it would be along the lines of 'you're too young' and 'keep your hands off her'. "Shit! Maybe they wouldn't let them date at all." Jasper thought, putting his head in his hands. What would he do then? He didn't know if he could stay away from her. It would be a long time before they could see each other on their own. "Crap! It would be five years before Ali would be eighteen!"

"Geeze! I'm such an ass! Why didn't I just keep my hands off of her? I should've just kept telling myself that she was just a baby still." He scrubbed at his forehead with his fist and wished his head would stop hurting.

Jackson pulled his car into the garage and told Jasper to go ahead and take his stuff to his room and wait for him there. "Here we go!" Jasper sighed.

"Yes, sir." Jasper said and hauled his bag into the house and down the hall to his room. He unpacked and put his dirty clothes in his hamper and put the rest of his stuff away. He laid on his bed, his hands behind his head, and waited. Soon, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. There was a knock and he sat up. "Come in." he called.

Jackson stuck his head in the door and asked Jasper to come to his office. Jasper got up and followed him into his office, his head down and shoulders slumped. He walked in and his dad closed the door behind him. He looked up to see Carlisle sitting in one of the chairs already waiting, and his dad told him to sit.

Sitting down, he noticed that Carlisle wouldn't look him in the eye. He felt guilty and wondered once again why he didn't stop himself from pursuing Ali.

Jasper looked down at his hands as his dad cleared his throat. "Jas, as you know, it has come to our attention that you and Ali are... interested in each other... romantically. We were first clued into this by your... uh... very enthusiastic kiss at the baseball game today. As I'm sure you are aware, Ali is very young yet, as are you, and I am not sure that she is ready for such a relationship. Carlisle and I have discussed this situation, and we have decided that... you may continue to... um... see each other, but... we will not tolerate any rushing of this relationship. Any time spent away from home together will be either in the company of a parent or sibling. We would also appreciate it if you kept any... uh... gestures of affection... limited to... um... kisses and hugs, such as for hello or goodbye. Is this understood, so far, young man?" Jackson demanded.

Jasper looked up at his dad, "Yes, sir." he said meekly, then looked back down at his hands.

"Carlisle? Is there anything else you would like to add?" Jackson asked.

Carlisle hesitated, making sure to get Jasper's attention. "I would like to emphasize, again, just how young you both are, Jasper. I know what it's like to be a young man and have all the feelings you must be having," Jasper blushed and looked down again. "but I hope you realize that both of you are way too young to explore your... sexuality." Jasper let out a soft groan, his face turning even redder. It was all Jackson could do not to laugh as Carlisle continued. "The consequences of such actions can be more than either of you could handle. An example of that is having Ali in our family at all. She is a direct result of irresponsible young people exploring what they are not yet ready for. In short, despite any... uh... urges... you may have, you must resist them for both your and Ali's sake."

Carlisle cleared his throat after another hesitation, and Jasper met his eyes. "I also would like to remind you that you are like a son to me and I love you very much. I am proud of your achievements and conduct thus far and hope that you would trust me to advise you if there were ever anything that you needed help with. Were you to ever have any questions, or reason to discuss things, I would like you to know that I, as well as your father, am here for you, always. Just as I am here for my own sons and daughter, you have my word... and my discretion."

Carlisle saw the glitter of tears in Jasper's eyes just before he got out of his chair to approach him. He whispered, "Thank you." and wrapped Carlisle in his arms. Squeezing him back, Carlisle smiled in confidence. Jasper was not only a good kid, but a good person. Jasper released Carlisle with an affectionate smile and went over to hug his dad. Jackson and Carlisle shared a smile and let out a sigh of relief that their 'meeting' had gone so well.

* * *

Jasper was laying in bed thinking about the meeting he had had earlier with his 'fathers'. He smiled as he recalled how loved he had felt. He had also felt 'told', but he cherished the closeness he shared with both men and prayed it would always be that way. Now, he couldn't wait to see Ali tomorrow. He knew she would be worried about him and it was too late to go over to see her, so he figured he'd better text her.

Alice heard her phone buzz, "Finally!" she thought, grabbing up her phone.

_Had 'the talk'. We can c each other but have to go out w/ a chaperone. _

_Got the sex talk, 2! Embarrassing! We can kiss hello or goodbye only._

_I hope you're sleeping and not laying awake worrying! I'm fine._

_Luv u! ~ Jas_

Alice smiled as she read his text again. Poor Jasper! It must've been terrible having to go through that alone. "I suppose it'll be my turn tomorrow." she sighed. "But at least, maybe Jasper will keep his hands to himself, now." Alice really hoped their dads scared him into behaving. She really hated how he was always trying to put his hands all over her, and planned to hold Rose to her word of not leaving her alone with him.

The next day, after a sleepless night, there was still no discussion about her relationship with Jasper, so Ali rode with Rose to pick Emmett up from the school. The bus was set to arrive at noon, and they made sure to be there when it arrived. The bus was running about twenty minutes late, and Rose was starting to feel frantic when she spotted it come around the corner. She jumped out of the car with a huge smile on her face. Ali got out, as well, and they walked over to the bus. Emmett was the first one off. He let out a 'whoo hoo' and grabbed Rose up in his arms. Ali stood by, grinning, when she felt a hand on her arm. She looked up to see Matt smiling down at her.

"Hi, Ali! How was your trip home yesterday?" Matt greeted her.

Ali smiled at him, "It was long. How about yours?"

"Long, but it was worth it, now that you're here." He grinned at her.

Alice blushed and felt uncomfortable. She liked Matt, but he knew she liked Jasper. She glanced at Emmett and Rose, but they were wrapped up in each other.

"Ali?" Matt bent to look into her eyes. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

She looked up at him, shyly. "A little. I am going with Jasper, and he gets really jealous sometimes."

Matt looked around. "Is he here?"

"Well, no, but I... worry." She admitted.

"Don't worry, Ali. I won't make trouble for you, but, if he ever lets you go, I'll be right there waiting." he chuckled at her look. "You can't blame me for trying." he shrugged.

Alice blushed and shook her head, "I guess not." she said.

"Well, Beautiful, I'll see you on the fourth." He placed his hand on his heart and turned to run to his family waiting for him nearby.

Alice looked after him. She was very flattered by his attention. He was the first boy, besides Jasper, that had shown any interest in her. He was really cute with his sun-streaked light brown hair and dazzling, light aqua-blue eyes. He was also a really nice guy. She remembered him always being nice to her at the boys' baseball practices, even when the other boys were being impatient with her.

She shook her head at her thoughts, even if she wasn't going with Jasper, Matt was really too old for her. Though he was only a little older than Jas, he was going to be a sophomore. She sighed, life was so much easier before boys started noticing her.

"What's wrong, Ali?" Rose laughed at her. "Matt hitting on you, again?"

Alice rolled her eyes at Rose and Emmett chuckled. "I'm glad Jas ain't here! His jealous tantrums are getting on my nerves." he joked. Rose smacked him and he whined, "Ow! Rose!" and held on to his arm.

Rose turned back to Alice. "Ali, just be polite and, if he gets too aggressive, remind him that you are dating someone. He is a cutie, though!" she giggled and Emmett scowled at her. She giggled again and kissed him. "Now who's being jealous?" she teased.

"Not me!" he grinned.

They got into Rose's car and decided to go out for lunch. At the restaurant, Emmett looked intensely across the table at Ali, noticing the circles under her eyes and her defeated expression. "Ali? Honey? Are you okay? You seem kinda' quiet."

Alice looked up at Emmett and then next to him, at Rose, biting her lip. "I... I'm kind of confused... I guess. I... well... I love Jasper... I do, but... what if he... changes his mind? You know, about loving me? I liked the way... it used to be... before he was always mad at me. Now... it can never be the same... can it?" She pleaded with her eyes.

"Oh, Ali!" Rose cried. "I'm so sorry! I should've encouraged Jasper to wait longer before he let you know how he felt. I tried, but things didn't go the way I imagined. That Savannah was horrible, so when he wanted to go ahead and ask you out, I supported him. I'm sorry, Honey!"

Emmett looked at Rose angrily, "You supported him? He's a walking hormone! Even before he let Savannah crawl all over him, he was reeking with it!" Emmett said in a harsh voice.

"Well, you didn't like him going with her, either! She's a skank! Besides, you knew him and Ali were going to end up together any way!" Rose declared, angrily. "You didn't object when we went to the drive-in together. In fact, you're the one who suggested we stay at the picnic tables up front during the last movie so that they could have some 'alone time', as you called it! What the hell are you starting this now for, ya' butt-head!"

"I may be a butt-head, but you're being a bitch!" Emmett shot back.

"Fine! I'm a bitch, but you can't face the truth! You're as much of a horn dog as Jas is! If I rolled over for you right now, you'd take me up on it!" Rose ground out.

Alice looked at them with her mouth hanging open and misery in her eyes. She'd never heard Rose and Emmett talk to each other like this before. She put her face in her hands and began to cry. She couldn't handle much more. She had always felt so loved and cared for, and now it seemed as though her safe, loving world was falling apart.

"Ali! Don't cry! We're sorry!" Emmett tried to comfort her. "Honey, please! I'm so sorry!"

Rose looked at her and got up and stroked her hair. "Ali? Please don't cry! We're sorry! Do you want to go home, Sweetie?"

Alice nodded and wiped her eyes. Rose looked at Emmett and they got up and went back out to the car, Rose with her arm around Ali's shoulders. Alice sobbed in the back seat the whole way home and, when they got home, wouldn't let Emmett or Rose help her at all. She came in through the front door and ran straight up to her room. Edward and Jasper were sitting in the living room watching a movie and looked up in alarm when she came in. Emmett and Rose followed her through the door and Jasper stalked over to them.

"What did you do? Why is Ali so upset?" He demanded.

"Calm down, Little Man!" Emmett said. "She's just confused, okay?"

"Yeah, Jas! She's too freakin' young for you to be pressuring her like this! Damn it!" Rose added.

"What? What did I do? Everything was fine between her and I yesterday! I haven't even talked to her since we left the hotel for home." Jasper defended himself.

"Well, if you'd have kept your hands to yourself, the dads wouldn't be planning to talk to her when they get home and she wouldn't be all stressed out!" Rose accused.

"She kissed me, Rose! I didn't touch her except to kiss her back! Don't frickin' blame me!" Jasper struck back.

"Stop it! All of you! Stop it right now!" Alice screamed from the top of the stairs. "Just... stop it!"

They all stared at her. No one could remember Alice screaming since she was a toddler.

"I've had enough! Please, just... stop... I... can't do this... any more." Ali's voice gave out. She turned and went back into her room. She shut the door and put her desk chair under the knob. She needed to remember to ask her mom for a lock for her door. She threw herself on the bed and sobbed into her pillow.

Jasper started up the stairs, but Emmett grabbed him and pulled him back down. "No! Jas, leave her alone."

Rose put her hand on his arm when he started to protest. "Jas? Listen to Emmett, please? Alice is really on edge today. Just let her work it out for a while before you go to her, okay?"

Jasper looked back up the stairs, then back at Rose. "All right, but I'm going up there if she's not out in an hour." he vowed.

An hour went by, and Alice was still in her room. Jasper went quietly up the stairs and softly knocked on her door. "Ali? You awake?" he called.

When there was no answer, he tried the door. He couldn't budge it, so he went back downstairs. "Did Ali get a lock on her door?" he asked Emmett and Edward.

They looked at each other, "Not that I know of... " said Edward.

"Me, neither." agreed Emmett.

"Well, her door won't open. The knob turns but it won't budge." Jasper told them.

Emmett stood up. "Let me try." He walked up and tried the knob. It turned in his hand, but wouldn't open. "Ali?" he called to her. "Please let me in, Angel. I just want to make sure you're all right."

"I'm fine, Em. I just don't want to see anyone right now." she answered. "I have a lot on my mind."

Emmett shook his head. He was such an ass for starting this at the restaurant. "I'm sorry, Ali. I shouldn't have added to your worry by saying what I did at the restaurant. I'm just tired from this week and the bus ride. Everyone is a little tense and tired. We're all sorry for adding to your stress." He continued in a coaxing voice. "Will you come out for just a minute? Just so I can see that you're okay? Please?"

"No, Emmett! Leave me alone!" she shouted back.

Emmett's eyebrows hit his hairline. "Whoa!" Ali had just yelled at him. Had she ever yelled at him before? He didn't think so! Edward, yeah, but him? He called softly through the door, "Okay, Knee-high, I'll leave you alone, but come out soon, okay? I'm really worried about you."

"I'm fine, Em." she said, again, with a sigh. "I just want to be alone. No offense."

"Okay. I'll be downstairs if you need me." he added.

"Thank you." she said, and Emmett went back downstairs.

He shook his head as he got to the bottom of the stairs and saw the others looking at him. Jasper let out a sigh. "Damn it! Why is she being so dramatic?" he growled. "I hate when she does this shit!"

"Well, you know what, Jas? Not everyone does things just to piss you off!" Rose snapped at him.

He looked at her incredulously, "Ha! You've got room to talk! When you're in a mood, we all tiptoe around you so we don't get our heads bit off!" He shot back at her.

"You guys!" Edward interjected. "Knock it off! Ali's never going to come out if she hears you two going at it!"

Jasper looked contrite. "You're right, Edward. Sorry, Rose." he said to his sister.

She hugged him. "Me, too."

They heard a sound on the stairs and looked to see Alice slowly creeping down them. She looked over at them and said, "I'm sorry for the... scene, earlier. I'm having a... bad day. I just want to nap in my room for a while. Please understand." she asked them. When they all nodded, she smiled and turned back to her room. "Thanks. I'll see you later." and she went back up the stairs and they heard her door close.

* * *

Carlisle and Jackson came through the front door a couple hours later and, looking into the living room, saw four young faces looking at them. "Hey, kids!" Carlisle greeted them.

"Hi, everybody!" Jackson added with a smile.

The two men walked into the living room, but stopped when they noticed the serious expressions on all their faces.

"What's going on?" Carlisle asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Um... not much." said Edward when no one else answered.

"Well, besides the fact that Ali has been a nervous wreck all day, waiting for you two, and nearly had a break down a couple hours ago... " Rose said, accusingly.

Carlisle and Jackson looked at each other with wide eyes. "Oh shit!" said Jackson.

"Yeah." Emmett agreed, nodding his head.

Carlisle hurried toward the stairs with Jackson close on his heels. They paused outside Ali's door and exchanged a look before Carlisle rapped lightly on it. "Ali? You awake?" he called.

There was silence, and then they heard a pitifully, small voice answer. "Yes... I'm... awake."

Carlisle rubbed his hand over his face. "Can I talk to you?" he finally said.

They heard movement and the door slowly opened. She looked up at them with big, scared eyes. They both winced when they saw her fear and the tear tracks dried on her little face.

Jackson crouched down to look her in the eye. "Ali Angel, we are so sorry! We didn't mean to leave you worrying all day."

Carlisle agreed, crouching down, as well. "We didn't think you would be this upset, Sweetheart. Why are you so afraid? You know Jackson and I wouldn't hurt you. Don't you?"

She nodded, but her eyes were still huge in her sweet, pale face. Their hearts twisted and they looked at each other with regret. Carlisle stood up. "Well, let's get this over with, then."

Jackson looked up at him in alarm. He stood up and gave Carlisle a questioning look.

"Why don't you go to the den, Ali. We'll be right there, Sweetie." Carlisle told her.

As soon as she was down the stairs, Jackson turned on Carlisle. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked in a harsh whisper. "You can't still mean to have a talk with her?"

"Jax, if we don't, she may think she can get away with things if she cries or looks pitiful. She _is_ going to get older, you know." Carlisle warned him.

"I suppose you're right, but her face is breaking my heart! I'm so glad she's yours and not mine! I have a hard enough time dealing with Rose." Jackson grimaced.

"This, from the hard ass that enjoyed his son's misery the whole way home yesterday?" Carlisle grinned.

Jackson couldn't help the grin that hit his face at his friend's question. "What can I say? I have a soft heart when it comes to the girls."

Carlisle rolled his eyes and gestured for them to go downstairs. "Come on. The sooner we do this, the better."

As they walked down the stairs, Jackson said, "I feel so guilty! I'm gonna' need a beer after this!"

Carlisle nodded in agreement.

Both men walked into the den with a quiet groan. Alice sat in one of the big chairs with her little feet swinging above the floor. She looked like she was about to be sacrificed and was trying to be brave.

Carlisle sat down and cleared his throat. "Ali? We don't know why you and Jasper decided to keep your relationship from us, but we really need to discuss it. As you know, you are both really young, and, frankly, I didn't think I'd have to talk to you about this for a couple of years, yet, but I just want you to be happy and safe. Okay?"

At her nod, he continued, "Jasper is going through... a time young men go through... when their hormones... make them feel... um... urges. This is completely natural, and doesn't make them bad, just... well... dangerous to be around."

Ali's head shot up and her eyes went wide in alarm. "Well, maybe not... dangerous... exactly... " Jackson tried to reassure her, his eyes connecting with Carlisle's. "just... not safe to be around... alone. Do you understand what we mean?" Jackson asked, cringing at the topic.

Alice nodded her head again, not really understanding at all. Both men exhaled in relief and thought about what to say next.

"Um.. so... we have decided to... let you and Jasper... continue to... see each other, but only with one of your brothers or Rose along... or one of us. We just feel it would be better... not to give you any chance to... well... give in to... temptation." Now it was Carlisle's turn to cringe. "God! Why was this so hard?" he thought.

"If Jasper tries to... pressure you into... doing... anything... we want you to tell us. He won't be in trouble, just reminded of his... responsibility... toward you. Okay?"

At Alice's nod and big-eyed stare, both men exchanged uncomfortable looks. "Well... " Carlisle cleared his throat. "I guess that's all... " he looked at Jackson again. "Isn't it?" he asked him.

Jackson gave him a desperate look, "Um... yeah. I think that's... uh... everything."

Alice looked back and forth between them. "Why are they still letting Jasper go out with me if he's dangerous?" she thought. "Aren't they supposed to protect me?" She looked down at the floor, twisting her fingers together. She didn't know what to think.

"Well... okay!" Carlisle smiled. "You know you can always come to us if you ever need to talk... or have a problem. Right?"

"Yes." she answered, softly, gazing at him with huge, solemn eyes.

Jackson put his hand on her arm. "We love you, Ali. We just want you to be happy. We will always be here for you." He smiled lovingly at her.

She smiled half-heartedly. "I love you, too." They both hugged her, then stood there looking down at her.

"Again, Ali. We are sorry that we left you to worry all day. That was not our intension. We figured that Jas would tell you what we talked about, and we'd have a little chat when we got home. Since we took the day off yesterday, we had to see some patients even though its Saturday."

"I understand." Alice responded obediently.

"Okay. We'll see you later, then." Carlisle dismissed her and she went back to her room.

Alice pushed the chair back under her doorknob and laid down on her bed, curling up into a ball.

"Why isn't my dad more worried about me going out with Jasper if he is dangerous?" she thought with a frown. "Why do his hormones make him dangerous? Isn't Emmett dangerous for Rose? What about Edward?" Maybe she should warn Bella not to go out with Edward since his hormones could mess him up, too.

She sighed and rubbed her forehead, all these questions were making her head hurt. She closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep, but all she could think about was Jasper and how she had to make sure she wasn't ever alone with him any more. It made her feel sad, some of her best memories were of just her and Jasper. Maybe she could get some information off of the Internet about boys and hormones. She knew they changed boys to men, but she didn't know why they made them so scary. She hated hormones!

* * *

Carlisle and Jackson just stared at one another for a minute after Alice left.

"That did not go well, Jax!" Carlisle commented. "She looked terrified when she left. More so than when she first opened her door!" He ran his hands through his hair. "We gotta' fix this! I don't want her to be terrified of boys, just not have sex with them!"

Jackson shook his head, "You're the one who made Jasper sound all scary, and kept putting your foot in your mouth!" he hissed. "God! I need that beer!"

"I'll have to have Esme talk to her when she gets home." Carlisle said. "She's gonna' kill me, but I can't let this stand, and I have no idea what to say to Ali."

"I know!" agreed Jackson. "Here we are, doctors, and we don't even know what to say to a thirteen year old girl, our own daughter, well... yours." Jackson groaned. "Let's get that beer!"

* * *

Esme was coming home late as she had a lot to catch up on at the hospital. Even though her duties were voluntary, they depended on her a lot, and she told Carlisle on the phone she wasn't sure when she'd be there. In the mean time, Ali crept down the stairs to get something to drink. She hadn't eaten all day and, with her nerves being shot over 'the talk', her stomach was a mess.

She spotted Rose and Emmett watching TV in the living room and went into the kitchen to get some juice. Outside on the patio, her dad and Jackson were drinking a beer and talking. Edward and Jasper were nowhere around and she sighed in relief. She took her glass and started back to her room.

"Ali?" said Emmett when he saw her. "You're not going back to your room, are you?"

"I was." she said, softly, her eyes downcast. She looked so pitiful that Emmett's chest ached for her.

"Will you come watch TV with me and Rose for a little while first?" he asked, smiling sweetly at her and patted the couch next to him..

Alice hesitated. She really just wanted to escape back to her room, but Emmett was giving her his pleading puppy dog face, so she walked over. "Okay, for just a little while." she agreed and sat next to him.

Emmett put his arm around her and had his arm around Rosalie on his other side. He hugged them both to his side and said, "I got my two best girls with me now."

Rose leaned forward and grinned at Ali. "Thanks for stayin' with us. Em has been goin' crazy worrying about you."

Alice looked up at Emmett and then snuggled into his side. "Thanks, Em." she whispered.

"Anytime, Munchkin." he said, squeezing her tightly.

The three of them were snuggling on the couch watching an old, scary movie when Jasper appeared in the doorway. "Hey guys!" he said, grinning widely when he saw Alice. Alice had been half asleep and a little scared from the movie, so, when she heard his voice, she made a squeaking noise and crawled across Emmett's lap, and scrambled to the other side of Rose.

Jasper's grin turned to a frown and he and Emmett exchanged puzzled looks. "What the hell?" Jasper exclaimed, crossing the room toward the couch. Rose was rubbing Alice's back and trying to get her to look at her. "Ali?" Jasper huffed out. "What the hell is wrong with you now?"

Rose and Emmett both looked at him in astonishment as he plopped down on the couch next to Emmett, looking angry.

"Jasper! She's had a really stressful day, calm down!" Rose told him, feeling Ali trembling behind her. She turned to Alice and, in a gentle voice said, "Why are you hiding from Jasper, Ali?"

In a low whisper, Alice told her, "Our dads said that Jasper is dangerous now that he's got his hormones. They said I can't ever be alone with him any more."

Despite her low voice, Jasper and Emmett heard what she said and looked at each other in shock.

Rose was shocked, also, but she tried not to show it as she asked, "Ali? Our dads told you that?" Alice nodded and Rose continued, "What else did they say?"

"That's it. Don't tell Jasper, though." Alice continued to whisper, her eyes huge. "He'll be mad. He's always mad at me now. It must be his hormones. I wanted to look it up on the Internet, but I didn't get the chance." She looked at Rose thoughtfully, "Um, Rose? How come Emmett's not scary? Didn't he get his dangerous hormones, yet?"

Emmett smirked at Jasper, and Jasper frowned back at him. Was Alice really that naïve? How come she didn't know about hormones, and how come their dads had said he was dangerous?

"Alice, everyone has hormones. That's what makes kids turn into adults." Rose told her.

Alice sighed, "Rose, I know what hormones are. I just didn't know that they made boys so scary. How come no one ever told me?"

Emmett and Jasper kept pretending that they couldn't hear her, they couldn't wait to see what Rose said in answer to Ali's question.

"The only way that hormones make boys dangerous, Ali, is that boys want to... well, you know... have sex. They're not really dangerous, just... well..." Rose whispered.

"Hormones are what make boys... horny?" Alice gasped, wide-eyed. Emmett and Jasper cracked up and Alice turned red, knowing that they had heard every word. She jumped off the couch and flew up the stairs to her room. She was never, ever coming back down again.

Esme walked into the house from the garage carrying several pizzas. She set them on the table and spotted Carlisle and Jackson on the patio. She walked out the door and greeted them. "Hello, gentlemen." She bent to kiss Carlisle. "How was your day?"

Both men looked at each other, guiltily, and then Carlisle turned to her and said, "Well, we forgot that Ali was waiting for us to have our talk... and I guess she had a pretty stressful day... then, we kind of... well... botched it." He winced as he said the last and looked back at Jackson.

Esme looked back and forth between the two of them. "What do you mean, 'botched it'? She inquired.

"Um..." Carlisle started. "We told Ali that she couldn't be alone with Jasper because he's... dangerous. She looked really scared and we didn't know how to... well, fix it." He cringed at how bad that sounded.

Esme looked at Carlisle. "How could you? She's just a young girl, Carlisle! She's so impressionable!" She shook her head. "Damn it! Where is she now?"

"She was in her room when we came out here about an hour ago." Jackson offered.

"I'm gonna' go talk to her. There's pizza on the table." Esme went into the house and through the kitchen. She saw the kids on the couch. "Hey kids! There's pizza on the table." she called, walking toward the stairs.

"Mom!" Emmett yelled out, continuing when she turned back. "Are you going to talk to Ali?" At her nod, he told her, "Good, 'cuz she's really messed up. The dads made her scared of Jasper and she hasn't eaten or slept since yesterday."

Esme put her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. With a groan she said, "Leave a man to do a woman's job... " She opened her eyes and squared her shoulders, "Okay! I'll be back in a little while." She smiled and marched up the stairs.

She knocked on Alice's door and tried to open it. "Ali? Open up, Sweetheart. It's Mom!"

Suddenly, the door flew open and Alice threw her arms around her mom. "I'm so glad you're home, Mom! Can I please get a lock for my door? Please!" she pulled back and looked up at her mom. "I really need it! I do! Anyone can get in my room, like, even in the middle of the night!" She seemed frantic and Esme put her finger over her lips.

"Shhhhhh! Ali! Calm down. Let's go sit down and talk, okay?" Esme took in the dark circles and pale skin and sighed. Over-tired and with low blood sugar, Alice was pretty much unreachable, but she had to try before she could get her downstairs for some food.

Alice sat on the bed looking up at her expectantly. She sat down next to her and took a moment to figure out exactly what to say. "Well, I heard that your dad and Jackson had quite a talk with you, huh?"

Alice nodded her head, her eyes wide. Esme saw a flash of fear in their depths and continued. "Alice, I know your dad told you that Jasper is dangerous, but that's just not true, Sweetie. What he meant is that boys tend to want to be intimate with a girl and that is the last thing a father wants. A mother, too, for that matter, because an unplanned pregnancy is not a happy situation for any young girl."

"Your dad is just afraid that you and Jasper will get carried away, Ali, and you will let Jasper go further than you should. Jasper would never intentionally hurt you, Angel. Deep down, you know that, after some food and sleep, you would realize that he has always taken good care of you. I am so sorry that I just didn't talk to you last night. I wanted to wait for your father, but he was at Jackson's late, and I fell asleep. Please forgive your father, or should I say 'fathers', for scaring you." She chuckled as Ali smiled at her. "Do you have any questions, Sweetie?" she asked.

Alice chewed her lip, "Well... will you tell me truth? I'm not a baby, you know." At Esme's nod, Alice tried again. "Um... do Jasper's hormones make him angry? 'Cuz he is angry at me all the time and I don't know why."

"Yes, his hormones can make him angrier than usual, but what has he been angry at you about?" Esme wondered, perplexed.

"He can't stand it when other boys talk to me! He growls and snaps, and... it's kinda'... you know, scary." Alice shuddered remembering his outbursts.

Esme smiled. "Oh. Well, maybe he's just jealous. You've only been seeing each other for a short time, right?" Alice nodded. "He'll probably mellow some once he's more used to his new feelings for you. Then, maybe he won't feel so threatened by other boys."

She reached out and pulled Alice into a hug. "I'm so sorry that I haven't been here for you much, lately, Ali. I promise, you can call me or come to me any time." She looked into Alice's eyes. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Alice nodded her head and Esme stroked her hair off her face.

"Let's go down and get you something to eat." Esme suggested. "I heard that you haven't eaten since yesterday morning. I brought pizza. Does that sound good?"

Alice shook her head, her face turning bright red. "I can't go down there." she said. "Not with the boys here."

Esme sighed. "Ali, I thought we straightened that out. The boys are no more dangerous than they've ever been..."

"It's not that, Mom." Alice said, interrupting her. She blushed again and looked down at her hands. "I said something that... was embarrassing... and... Emmett and Jasper laughed at me. If I go down there... they will... make fun of me." She shook her head again. "I just can't... not now... not tonight..."

"What if I bring you a plate? Will you eat for me then?" Esme offered.

"I suppose... " Alice said, vaguely.

Esme stood up. "I'll be right back. If you have any more questions, we can talk some more when I get back."

Alice nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Mom."

Esme smiled and walked out the door. She was going to kill Carlisle and Jackson as soon as she had the chance. She walked into the kitchen and just looked at the two men sitting there. They gazed back at her with guilt all over their faces.

Carlisle gave her a sheepish look and Jackson grinned. "What are you grinning at, Jackson Hale?" She snapped, putting her hands on her hips. His grin disappeared and he looked ashamed. "That little girl was scared to death! She had barricaded her door and about knocked me over when she opened it and saw me. You two should be ashamed!"

Then she looked at Emmett and Jasper. "And you two... how could you laugh at her? She's trying so hard to straighten everything out in her head, and she can't even count on the men in her own family." She shook her head in disgust, looking at them around the table, and Rose smirked. Edward just kept his head down and continued to eat.

Esme picked up a plate off the table and put some pizza on it. She then got a glass and put some ice and soda pop in it.

"Um... Esme, My Darling, aren't you eating with us?" he asked, tentatively.

She looked at Emmett and Jasper. "I'll be eating with you, but Alice is too embarrassed to come down. She feels foolish and says that the boys will make fun of her. Since she hasn't eaten in over thirty-six hours, I felt the need to make sure she has _something_ to eat." She looked pointedly at them all.

"Mom? I should go up and apologize, huh?" asked Emmett.

"That would probably be a nice thing to do, Em." agreed Esme.

"Can I do it now? Maybe she'll come down if I do." Emmett said, standing up.

"Well... alright, but take her food up to her and tell her I'll be back up when you're done." Esme told him.

He nodded, picked up Ali's plate and glass, and left the room. Upstairs, he hesitated outside Ali's open door. Slowly approaching it, he cleared his throat and stopped at the threshold. "Ali?" Her head snapped up and her eyes were anxious. "Can I talk to you? Please... " He gave her an apologetic smile.

"Alright... " Alice agreed, but wishing him away. His reaction was the most hurtful. She had always been able to count on Emmett and his laughter felt like a betrayal.

Emmett set her food on the desk and sat next to her on her bed. He reached over and took her hand. Holding it tenderly, he spoke softly. 'Ali, I am so sorry that I hurt your feelings. I swear I wasn't laughing at you. That word just cracks me up for some reason, that's all. I feel really bad about what you told Rose. Dad should never have said that stuff to you. I think he just didn't know how to say what he wanted and it came out wrong. We all love you so much! You are the light of our lives, Ali." At her skeptical look, he continued. "Seriously! You are fun and make everything happier. Your laugh and smile brighten my day and you're just so cute! I can't stand to see you unhappy."

She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with tears. "Thank you, Em."

"It's the truth, Ali." Emmett told her. "Everyone feels so bad. When Mom said you wouldn't come downstairs, we were all upset. We want you to be happy, not up in your room by yourself."

He reached over and gave her a big hug. She hugged him back and he stood up. He handed her the plate of pizza and said, "Please eat something, okay? Mom said she'll be back up in a little bit."

"Okay. Thanks, Em." Ali took the plate and Emmett smiled and went back downstairs.

"How'd it go, Em?" Carlisle asked him when he came back into the kitchen.

"Good. She hugged me and said she'd eat." he told them.

"That's good." Jackson said, then looked at Carlisle. "I guess we owe her an apology, too, huh?"

"No." came a small voice from the doorway. They all looked to see Alice standing there holding her plate and glass. "Can we just pretend none of this ever happened?" she asked. "Please?"

Carlisle stood up. "Of course, Sweetheart! Come sit with us. We won't mention any of this ever again, okay?"

Alice nodded and smiled, walking over and taking a seat at the table next to her mom. She looked up to see Jasper's bright green eyes looking longingly at her. She gave him a little smile and, when he smiled back, she looked back at her plate and began to eat, only then realizing how hungry she was. She looked around the table. Everyone was enjoying their food, but no one said a word. She sighed. "After a good night's sleep, things would be alright." she decided.


	41. Happier Days

41.

Happier Days

Jasper entered the living room and greeted Emmett and Rosalie. He spotted Alice curled up next to Emmett on the couch and a huge grin spread across his handsome face.

"Finally!" He hadn't really seen or talked to her since the day before, and he'd been aching just to see her. His grin turned into a frown when she saw him and scrambled over Emmett's lap. He couldn't believe that Alice was hiding from him!

"What the hell?" he said, crossing the room to the couch. She was huddled on the other side of Rose, who was trying to comfort her. He'd been so happy to see her just a second ago, now he was pissed. He was so sick of all the drama surrounding their relationship.

"Ali? What the hell is wrong with you now?" he grumbled and plopped down next to Emmett on the couch.

Rose and Emmett just looked at him.

"What?" he thought, scowling at them.

Rose chewed him out, "Jasper! She's had a really stressful day, calm down!" and he rolled his eyes. Alice was being such a drama queen lately and, frankly, he was sick of it! Why could't she just do what he wanted? He heard Ali say she was scared of him and he fought down the urge to just go over there and tell her to knock it off. She knew he would never hurt her.

"Geeze! Would she just grow up, already?" he thought, but then he overheard her tell Rose that their dads had told her that he was dangerous! His eyebrows hit his hairline and he exchanged a shocked look with Emmett.

"Why the hell would they tell her that?" Damn it! All he wanted was to have a normal relationship with Ali. One where they could spend time together and he could kiss and touch her when he wanted. One where they could go to the movies or to lunch or take a walk by the lake. All this emotional, dramatic crap was too much! She wouldn't even let him look at her! Fuck it! Enough already! He tensed his muscles to stand up and give her a piece of his mind.

Then Alice whispered, "Don't tell Jasper, though. He'll be mad. He's always mad at me... " His shoulders slumped and he sank back onto the couch, he felt like a jerk. He _was_ mad at her a lot. Shit! He was mad at her right now! He didn't know why he was always mad, he just wanted things to be simple, like it was between Rose and Em, but it never was!

He and Emmett had listened to see what she'd say next as she listened to Rose, when she'd gasped as she finally understood.

"Hormones are what make boys... horny?"

He couldn't help it! He and Emmett had looked at each other and just died laughing. There was just something about that word that made them laugh, especially being said in Ali's sweet, innocent voice! Ali didn't know that, though, and had taken off for upstairs again. He hadn't gotten to see her for over twenty-four hours and now she was locked in her room, again. Shit!

Finally, Esme had come home and had helped her to figure things out. When she came down to the kitchen to eat with them, Jasper just couldn't take his eyes off of her. She'd given him a little smile, but she looked terrible, with dark circles under her eyes, dried tears on her face and her hair all tangled, but, to him, she was always beautiful. He just wanted to put his arms around her and hold her. He wanted to bury his face in her soft, shiny hair and breathe in her scent. He wanted to see her soft, blueberry eyes sparkle with laughter and look up at him with a sweet smile on her face. He just wanted to be with her, what was wrong with that?

After everyone was done eating, Jasper decided to stay behind to help Edward put the left-over pizza away and clean up the table. Alice had given him a shy, lingering smile as she'd left the room and his heart ached as he recalled the things he'd thought about her this afternoon.

"I'm glad that Ali came downstairs, Jas, aren't you?" Edward asked him.

"Yeah, I was worried about her. Too bad your mom hadn't come home earlier, huh?" Jasper had said.

He'd nodded, and they'd walked into the living room. His dad was still there, his mom was in Chicago for some big planning with some important clients, and Rose and Emmett were curled up together on one corner of the couch, with the dads sitting in the matching easy chairs. They had just started a movie, since he and Edward were done in the kitchen, but Edward went upstairs. He wanted to get on his laptop for a while. Ali was sitting on the couch, between Esme and Rose, and he sighed, "I guess I'll just sit on the floor." he thought, walking over.

Alice got off the couch and smiled at him. "You can sit here, Jas." She said shyly.

"No, thanks, Ali. You sit there." he said and moved to sit on the floor.

"Well, I thought we could sit... you know... together." She blushed and looked at the floor. A big grin spread over his face and he nodded.

"Okay, I'd like that." He sat on the couch and she crawled on his lap. He immediately hugged her in his arms and buried his face in her hair. She giggled and snuggled against him to watch the movie. He looked over at his dad to see him smiling fondly at them, and Carlisle was doing the same. A sideways glance at Esme showed her working on her crochet, but she had a small smile on her face, as well. He was content. Maybe things were going to be okay after all.

Of course, Ali had fallen asleep cuddled up against him. She usually did any way, but she was exceptionally tired, not having slept at all the night before. Emmett lifted her off Jasper and carried her up to her bed. Esme said good night and followed him up. She would get Ali ready for bed before going to bed herself. Jasper missed Ali's warmth and curled up on the couch, with Rose next to him, to watch the end of the movie. Emmett came back down and settled in with Rose on the other end of the couch.

Jasper looked over to see Emmett grinning at him. "Been a long day, hey, Jas Man?" he grinned.

Jasper nodded. "You can say that again!" he'd agreed, sighing contently, and so glad things were back to normal.

* * *

The next weekend was Ali's birthday. She didn't want to go out to dinner, instead, she wondered if they could just have a cook out and she could invite her friends over.

She invited Brent, Bella and Jessica and told them to bring their swimsuits. They planned on Beer Can Chicken, something Brent and Bella had never heard of before, and assorted side dishes. Lynnette had finally made it home at the beginning of the week, and whipped up three pans of her famous Lemon Bars. Jackson got out the ice cream maker and churned out a couple gallons of homemade strawberry ice cream made with locally grown, fresh strawberries. Her dad stopped at a farmer's market and bought a bunch of corn on the cob and fresh fruit.

Her birthday dawned sunny and warm. She enjoyed a special birthday breakfast of blueberry pancakes with her family and the Hales, and then, her and Rose decorated the patio with Japanese lanterns and flowers on the tables. Her mom put the chickens on the grill in the early afternoon, and her and Rose cut up all of the fruit for a fresh, fruit salad. Carlisle put the corn in a huge pot on the stove to boil and the boys cleaned the pool.

Alice felt the party would be the perfect end to a perfect week. She and Jasper had been so happy the last few days. The band had gotten in a couple of practices. Jasper and Edward had baseball practice, and Brent was even signed up for the team this year, so Ali had gone along to watch. They'd gone swimming together and had even stolen a few 'hello' kisses here and there.

She sighed, happily and hugged herself. She was officially a teenager and was feeling very pleased with herself. Her party was going to be so much fun! She even had match-making plans, so she was brimming with excitement and literally dancing all around.

The chicken and corn were almost ready when Brent and Bella rang the doorbell. Ali skipped to greet them and led them through the house to the back yard.

"We'll eat first, and then go swimming, okay?" Ali said cheerfully and took their bags upstairs.

Everyone was happy to see the cousins and Edward even made a point of offering them something to drink, which had Emmett sharing a surprised look with Jasper. Rose and Emmett set the tables on the patio and Jasper and Ali started bringing the food out of the house. When Esme and Carlisle took the chicken off the grill, Bella asked what exactly 'Beer Can Chicken' was.

"You take whole chickens, open up cans of beer, or whatever canned soft drink you want, and cook the chickens upright over the can." Alice explained. "The liquid in the can evaporates as it heats up and flavors the chicken as it cooks. It tastes so good and stays really moist, too." Alice told them, rubbing her tummy and making a 'yummy' noise. Bella laughed and said she couldn't wait to try it.

Just as they were about to sit down to eat, Jessica came around the house to the back. "Jess!" Ali called when she saw her and ran over to welcome her. "I was afraid you weren't coming!"

"Sorry! I should've called. I had some stuff to do before I could make it over." Jessica said.

"That's okay, Jess. I'm just glad you made it!" She led Jessica over to the patio and stuck her bag in the house. She invited everyone to sit down, making sure that Jessica sat next to Brent and Bella sat next to Edward, and they all laughed and talked as they enjoyed Ali's birthday feast.

Jasper sat next to Alice and put his hand on her leg. "I see what you're up to, Ali." he grinned at her.

She looked back at him with big innocent eyes. "What are you talking about, Jas?" she said, looking up at him. He laughed and kissed her on the nose.

"Even on your birthday, you're thinking of other people, Ali." he said, affectionally. "You're just... special. You know that?"

She blushed and smiled at him. "Jasper, you're so sweet. I just want everyone to be happy." she said, matter-of-factly. "That makes me happy, too." He put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze.

Soon, everyone was full and, after cleaning up, they all went to change into their swimsuits. Ali, Jessica, Rose and Bella went into Ali's room to change. They giggled and chatted as they changed and everyone admired each other's suits. The boys changed in either Edward or Emmett's room and beat the girls back downstairs. The boys were all in the pool already when the girls came back out, but they all stopped to stare when they saw the girls in their swimsuits.

Alice had her thick, dark hair pulled back in its usual long braid down her back. She had on a brand new bikini. It was a medium pink with tiny yellow flowers all over it and a yellow ruffle that ran just below her belly button along the waist band of her bottoms. The legs were high cut and she filled out the full-cut top better than she did when she first bought it.

Jessica, her strawberry blonde waves pulled back into a french braid, had on a pale orange two-piece with a very well filled-out halter bikini top and high-cut bottoms. Rose wore a traditional red bikini and wore her pale blonde hair long around her shoulders. As usual, she looked like she just stepped out of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, and Bella had on a modest purple halter tankini top and boy shorts, which showed off her lean, rocker chick physique to perfection, her shiny, mahogany hair back in a shaggy ponytail.

The girls were so busy giggling amongst themselves, that they didn't immediately notice the boys' reactions. They walked down by the pool and sat on the edge with their feet dangling in the water, still talking. The boys just kind of stayed in one place, staring at them.

"Uh... Rose?" Emmett called. She looked over at him. "You girls planning on getting in the water any time soon?" he asked, never taking his eyes off of her.

She smiled at him and batted her lashes. "In a few minutes, Sweetie!" she called back, preening for him. The other girls watched her and finally noticed the boys' attention.

Bella blushed and slid into the water right away. Jessica saw Brent's wide-eyed stare directed at her and made a show of walking over to the ladder and squealing as she slowly went down it into the cold water. Rose dramatically stretched out, making Emmett swallow with a gulp, and said that she might just sunbathe for a while.

Alice started laughing at them all. She couldn't help it and Jasper swam over to her and pulled her into the water with him. She shrieked and hung on around his neck. He grinned, loving her arms around him and kissed her neck.

He whispered into her ear, "You look hot, Ali." He grinned and nuzzled her neck as she giggled. "You didn't show me this suit before. Were you saving it?" She blushed and he chuckled. "It's really great. I think I might like it even better than the one you wore the other day, and that one was exceptionally nice." He leered at her and wiggled his eyebrows.

She giggled again, remembering how his eyes had widened when she'd shown up in her new sapphire blue bikini a couple days ago. He'd seen her in it when she first bought it, but showed her again that he approved, by looking her up and down and groaning. She'd giggled and splashed him and they'd played in the pool for over an hour, just the two of them, before getting out for dinner. It had been just like before, and she hadn't had that much fun in a long time.

Alice was blissfully happy. She had a great time playing in the pool with her friends and family and, when it started to get cold, they got out and dried off in front of the fire her dad had started in the patio fireplace. They were all wrapped in beach towels in front of the fire and Lynnette and Esme brought out the Lemon Bars and ice cream. Lynnette had put thirteen candles on one of the pans of bars and they all sang Happy Birthday before Ali blew out the candles.

Brent kept commenting on how good the Lemon Bars were and had a third, and Emmett helped himself to a second bowl full of ice cream, declaring it the best batch Jackson had ever made. Everyone was warm, dry and full when Carlisle and Jackson brought out Alice's gifts for her to open.

She squealed with delight when saw all the brightly-colored packages and clapped her hands. She got a bunch of new clothes from her parents, a yellow and white Flip Ultra camcorder from her brothers, a state of the art graphics program for her laptop from Lynnette and Jackson, a new scrapbook from Bella, some beautiful hair accessories from Rose, two new books from Jessica, and an iTunes gift card and a crystal prism to hang in her bedroom window from Brent.

She hugged and thanked everyone for the awesome gifts, and truthfully told them this was the best birthday she'd ever had. She had her family, her sweet, loving Jasper and this year, she even had friends!

Jasper went into the house and came out with a small gift bag and a big, square box with a huge pink ribbon on it. Esme shared a look with him and they grinned at each other.

"Happy Birthday, Ali!" He said as he handed Alice the aqua gift bag he had gotten on their shopping trip while at the State Championships.

Ali gasped when she opened the small velvet box and looked up at him with shining eyes. "Jasper! It's perfect!" She pulled the locket out of the box and admired it before handing it to him to put on her. He opened it to show her the pictures he had put in it of her and him as babies and she sighed in pure pleasure as he fastened it around her neck. She smiled lovingly up at him before giving him a soft, sweet kiss and he grinned.

She glanced over at the big box, and he laughed out loud. She grinned up at him, knowing that he was laughing at her impatience, and he handed her the box. It was really light and she had no idea what it could be.

"Be careful with that one, Ali." he told her. "It's really delicate."

She looked at him, puzzled, and lifted off the lid. She peered into the box and saw two crystal, blue eyes looking up at her. She gasped and put her hand over her heart. She looked up at Jasper with tears in her eyes, before reaching in to gather the tiny cream-colored kitten into her arms and hug her to her chest.

"It's a girl and she doesn't have a name, yet." Jasper told her, crouching down next to her and scratching the kitten behind its ear.

Alice just stared at him in wonder. Finally, she choked out, "Thank you so much, Jas. She's so... adorable." And burst into tears. Everyone chuckled and Jasper hugged her, being careful not to squish her new baby.

The kitten was content to snuggle against Ali's chest as the kids stayed out on the patio, taking turns telling stories. Jasper sat on one of the lounge chairs with his legs spread out in front of him and Ali, cuddling her kitten, in between them. She lay against his chest listening to the stories and he practically hummed with contentment. This is what he'd been looking forward to, he thought, as he kissed her hair, being able to hold her when he wanted and just spend time with her.

Emmett held Rose in a similar fashion on another lounge chair. Brent sat next to Jessica on the rocking bench, and Edward and Bella sat next to each other on a third lounge chair. Bella had just finished telling a story she'd heard about a little girl who had almost died from cancer and how she had miraculously gotten better and gone on to become a cancer researcher who had discovered a break-through in cancer treatments.

"Bella! That was a wonderful story! Thank you so much for telling us!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes shining from the few tears she had shed while listening to Bella.

"You're welcome, Ali. I'm glad you liked it. Isn't it wonderful how things can turn out?" Bella sighed.

Everyone nodded and Emmett wiped away a tear as he said, "All right! Enough of this sappy stuff!" He rubbed his hands together. "I think it's time for a... dum, dum, dum... ghost story!" He grinned, looking around at them.

"Yeah!" said Edward. "Just what we need! A good ghost story!" Bella looked at him with adoring eyes and nodded, Rose rolled her eyes and Ali shivered.

"Uh... Em? I don't know... " Jasper commented. "Ali always gets really scared from your stories." He looked down at Ali.

Emmett looked disappointed. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Ali."

"It's okay, Em. Go ahead and tell one." She looked up at Jasper. "Thank you, but it'll be okay, Jas. I'll have Rose, Bella and Jessica with me, and you, Brent, Emmett and Edward, will be just down the hall. We'll leave on a night light, too. Plus, I'll have my baby kitty to snuggle me." She hugged the kitten to her and smiled.

"If you say so," Jasper agreed, kissing her hair, again. He looked up at Emmett. "I guess you can go ahead and scare our pants off, Em." Emmett laughed and started his story in a spooky voice.

By the end of the story, the boys all had their arms full of warm, soft girl and big, goofy grins on their faces. Ali looked around at her friends and smiled. It had been a very successful party in her opinion.

Later that night, the girls fell asleep immediately, it had been a long, exciting day, but, the boys had too much going on in their brains to fall asleep right away. They had been knocked for a loop by the girls today and were making plans for more group outings. Edward was grinning from ear to ear at the new developments between him and Bella, and Brent was a little flabbergasted at his new feelings for Jessica. Emmett couldn't believe how lucky he was that Rose actually loved him and Jasper was content that Ali seemed like her old self again.

Finally, everyone succumbed to sleep and the house was quiet.

A few hours later, Jasper woke up out of a sound sleep. He didn't know how, but he knew Ali needed him. He got up and went down the hall. He heard Ali before he actually saw her. Her bedroom door was slightly opened and he stuck his head in to see Bella, Rose and Jessica trying to wake Alice up, but she was locked in a nightmare and was thrashing and crying in her sleep.

He hurried over to her and gathered her in his arms. "Shhhhhhhh! Ali... sweetheart... you're okay. It's just a dream, darlin'. Jasper's here, you're safe." He murmured, rocking her, as the other girls watched him.

Ali immediately settled down and relaxed against Jasper. Rose smiled at him and patted him on the back. "You're so good with her, Jas. She doesn't even respond to her parents or brothers that quickly."

Bella and Jessica gazed at him in awe. Ali was so lucky to have Jasper, they thought, he loved her so much and they were just so perfect together.

Jasper sighed in relief and laid Alice back in her bed. He looked at the girls, "She should be okay, now." He said. "If she wakes up scared, or starts crying again, please come get me or Emmett, alright?" he asked.

The girls nodded and Rose said, "I really tried to calm her, Jas. She was having a really bad episode and even her kitten got scared and ran under the bed."

Jasper shook his head, "I wonder why?" he wondered. "She's been really happy. Maybe it was just Emmett's stories, or it could've been the excitement of the party." He speculated. "Well, hopefully, she'll be okay for the rest of the night."

"I'll come get you if she needs you." Rose said, as he got the kitten from under the bed and handed it to her.

The next morning, Ali was wide awake and full of energy. Jasper and Rose wondered how she could be after her nightmare, but she didn't remember anything about it.

After a breakfast of juice, leftover fruit salad and muffins, the kids decided to go swimming for a while again. Ali's pink suit was still damp, so she decided to wear her blue one. She made sure to notice Jasper's face when she appeared in it and was happy to see his eyes light up. She smirked at him when he noticed her watching him and he grinned wickedly.

Once in the water, Emmett instigated a water fight with Jasper. The next thing they knew, the others had been brought into it and Jasper was hauling Ali up onto his shoulders. Emmett, with Rose perched on his shoulders, attacked Jasper and Ali. Brent talked Jessica into sitting on his shoulders and Bella climbed on Edward's shoulders after just a glance from him. They were laughing and trying to knock each other over. Emmett knocked Edward over after Bella lost her balance, but Jasper and Brent held their own. Finally, Brent and Jessica went over. Emmett grinned at Jasper triumphantly.

"You're going down, Jas!" Emmett growled, playfully, and went for him and Ali. Jasper, though not as heavy as Emmett, was almost as tall and fought valiantly. Rose tried to tickle Ali, but she got Rose's foot first and, finally, Emmett and Rose went down. Jasper hollered and raised his arms up over his head in triumph as Alice held on tightly, giggling.

Alice leaned down and asked Jasper if he would let her down now. He shook his head and held on to her legs. "Jasper! Let me down!" Alice squealed and kicked her feet, laughing.

"Jasper! Please!" she laughed, helplessly and he chuckled as he kept going into the deep end to get her wet and then back to the shallow end before she could get down. He did this several times, until Ali was giggling uncontrollably, and the others were laughing at her giggles.

Jasper finally lifted her off his shoulders and put her down in front of him in the water. She grinned up at him and put her arms around his neck. He kept his hands on her hips and went deeper in the water with her. When they were in the furthest corner of the deep end, Jasper pulled her against him and Ali gasped, her eyes going wide. She could feel his hardness against her belly and tried to pull away. He pushed her further into the corner and lowered his head to whisper into her ear.

"That's because of you! Not only do you look awesomely hot in that swimsuit, but I could feel how _hot_ you are against the back of my neck." He leered at her and said, "You know, when you were on my shoulders?"

Her face went bright red and she wouldn't look him in the eyes. He snickered at her and put some space between them so she couldn't feel him against her any more.

"You just don't get what you do to me, do you?" he whispered, grinning as she got even redder. He just loved teasing her, he shouldn't be the only one to suffer, he thought with a laugh, besides, she was just too damn cute.

Jasper lifted her up to sit on the concrete patio surrounding the pool with a grin, and swam around until his body was back to normal. Alice watched him, admiring his wide shoulders and the muscles on his arms and back, as he sliced through the water. She felt a strange, throbbing warmth in her lower tummy and wondered if that was how he felt when he looked at her.

After lunch, Bella and Edward went over to the Hales' to work on some of the songs they were playing on the fourth of July. Jessica had to get home, so Brent and Jasper put on their T-shirts, and Alice tied her new crocheted sarong around her waist, and they walked her home. The girls chatted and the boys just enjoyed holding their hands as they walked. When they got to Jessica's house, Brent walked her up to the door while Jas and Ali waited on the sidewalk. Brent was just about to chance giving her a kiss goodbye when Lauren came to the door.

Jessica glared at her, "Lauren, what do you want?"

Lauren smirked at her but then frowned when she saw Jasper holding Alice's hand. "Hi, Jas! Who's little girl is that with you?" she smiled sweetly at him, and then said, "Oh! It's Alice! Sorry, I didn't realize it was you, Alice. That's so sweet of Jasper to hold your hand. Drivers probably have a hard time noticing you without having a normal-sized person with you."

"Shut up, Lauren!" Jessica snapped at her. "Alice _is_ a normal-sized person. You're just jealous 'cuz you're a cow and Jasper wouldn't _pee_ on you if you were on fire!"

Lauren's mouth gaped open as the four friends laughed and, with a huffing sound, she went back into the house and slammed the door. Brent gave Jessica an appreciative look and touched his lips to hers. Jessica smiled shyly at him when he pulled back.

"Can I call you later?" Brent asked her, and, at her nod, handed her her overnight bag and backed down the sidewalk to Ali and Jas. They waved at Jessica and started back down the road.

Alice looked at Brent with laughing eyes. "So, Brent..." She started, grinning widely.

Brent chuckled. "Okay, Ali! You were right, okay?" He looked down at her. "Jessica is awesome! I should've noticed sooner. Are you happy, now?"

Brent and Jasper cracked up as Ali nodded her head, vigorously. She hung onto Jasper's hand and skipped down the road back to her house. "Life was just about perfect." she thought, stealing a glance at Jas. His sparkling emerald eyes met hers and she beamed up at him, humming happily to herself.


	42. The Big Party, Part 1

**Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long! One, it's kinda' long with a lot of information, and, two, I'm ashamed (Not!) to admit that I've spent a lot of time reading a great FanFic, 'It Isn't Stalking If You Don't Get Caught". The link is on my profile, if you're interested! It's guaranteed 'Laugh Out Loud' funny! Enjoy!**

42.

The Big Party, Part 1

Alice and Bella sat on the floor of the Hales' garage playing with Alice's new kitten. The kitten was so adorable. She had cream-colored fur with light brown accents around her blue eyes and tail, ears and feet. Jasper told her that it was a Rag-doll kitten and he had gotten her at the animal shelter where her mother and six litter mates had been brought in. Esme had gone to pick her out with Jasper and they had gotten pink food bowls and a litter box, too. Alice had set up the kitten's things in her room until she got older, and only had to name her.

"What are you going to name her, Ali?" Bella asked, dragging a piece of yarn for the kitten to grab at.

"I have been thinking about it for two days straight, Bella, and I am just not coming up with a perfect name. Nothing seems to fit her." she shook her head in frustration. "I want something cute, but I kind of want something to remind me of Jasper, too." She said, blushing.

Bella laughed, "That's good, I mean, he is your boyfriend and he did get her for you."

"Yeah, he is, and he did." she giggled. "I just need to come up with a name, now." Alice chewed her lip.

"Hey ladies!" Jessica greeted them, coming in through the big garage door. "Where are the guys?" she looked around, puzzled.

"Hi, Jess!" Bella welcomed her. "I think they're still up in Jasper's room. They were trying to finish a song they were writing. They said they'd be down in a little while, but we haven't seen them in a long time."

Jessica sat on the floor to pet the kitten. "Awwww! She's so cute, Ali! Did you decide on a name for her, yet?"

Alice shook her head, "It has to be perfect." Bella and Jessica nodded, looking thoughtful.

The door to the house opened and the three boys came out into the garage. The girls admired them as they talked about their song, not even acknowledging the girls, they were so wrapped up in their discussion.

Jasper tossed his head to get his hair out of his eyes and felt something on his foot. He looked down and saw Ali's kitten playing with his shoelace. He bent down and picked her up and looked at Ali with a grin. "I think you lost something, Angel." he said, and walked over to hand her the kitten.

"Awwwww! Jasper, she's knows you're her daddy!" sighed Jessica, teasing him.

Jasper looked scared for a second and shook his head. "Jess! Don't ever say anything like that to me again!" he said and shuddered. The other boys cracked up and teased Jasper.

"Jas, what's wrong? Don't you want to be the kitty's daddy?" taunted Edward. Brent snickered and Jasper glared at them.

"Ha ha! You're so funny! I don't want to be anybody's daddy!" he said, shuddering again. He felt a soft, warm hand on his arm and looked down into Alice's sparkling eyes.

"But Jas, she needs a daddy as well as a mommy. Look at her. Poor orphan." Alice pouted, sticking her bottom lip out.

Jasper gazed at her lip and licked his own. "Ali, you better put that lip back where it belongs or I'm gonna' be sucking on it! Then we'll never get any practicing done and we'll sound like shit for the party."

Alice giggled. She was discovering that she liked the affect she had on Jasper and felt a little giddy when she saw the fire spark in his eyes. "Well, we can't have that now, can we?" she gave him a saucy look and sashayed away, cuddling her kitten to her chest.

Jasper's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "Did Alice just flirt with him? Whoa! That was new!" He grinned, he liked this new side of her. Suddenly, he wanted practice to be over and everyone but Ali out of the garage.

"Come on, Jas! We're wasting time that we should be using for practice." Edward chided. "We cannot suck for our family and friends! It would be way too humiliating!"

Jasper turned and picked up Annabelle out of her case. He strummed her a few times to make sure she was in tune and got into position for their first song.

They were going to only play covers for their parents' Fourth of July party. The first song would be 'Cum on Feel the Noize', of course, as it was now their 'signature song', as Alice called it, followed by a variety of songs, some old, some new. They planned on playing about six songs and they're dads had mentioned several times that they were excited to hear what they finally came up with.

Alice wandered back over to her house to put her kitten in her room. She was afraid that the band was too loud for her ears. She hummed softly to herself and snuggled her new pet under her chin. She jumped a little in surprise as she heard Rose call her.

Alice walked over by Rose. "Hi Rose! Whatcha' doin'?"

"I was asking you the same, Ali." Rose giggled. "You were lost in your own little world." She reached over to pet the kitten's soft fur.

"Oh, yeah, I was trying to think of a name for my kitty." she told her.

"You still haven't named her? It's been like, two days!" Rose said.

"I know, Rose." Ali sighed. "It has to be perfect. I want something cute, but I'd like it to remind me of Jasper, too."

"Hmmmmm... What about Jasmine?" Rose offered.

Ali's eyes got big, a huge smile on her face. "Rose! That's it!" she breathed, grabbing Rose in a one-armed hug. "Jasmine! It's perfect! Thank you!"

Rose grinned. "You're welcome, but it wasn't that hard to come up with."

They laughed and chatted, and Rose walked home with Ali to put Jasmine away for a nap.

"Wanna' go listen to the band with me, Rose?" Alice asked as they walked back to Rose's house.

"Naw. Thanks, though. I've got some stuff I wanna' do in the house before Emmett gets back. I'll hear them on the Fourth, though, and I'm coming to their first concert. I think they're gonna' be great!"

"Me, too." agreed Alice. "They're gonna' surprise a lot of people, I think. Their original songs are really excellent and their covers are exceptional. I can't wait for the Battle of the Bands in August."

"I know! It's so exciting! Well, I'll talk to you later, okay?" Rose told her. "Let's go to the mall one day this week. I need a few things and I'd like to get something new for the Fourth."

"Okay! Let me know when you want to go." Ali said, and skipped into the garage where the band was just finishing a song.

Jasper frowned. "Is it just me, or did that sound a little off?"

"It was great, Jas." Edward scoffed. "I think you're getting a little obsessive now that the Fourth is so close."

Jasper ran his hand through his hair. "Maybe you're right. I've been playing these songs in my sleep."

Brent chuckled. "I know what you mean! I woke up drumming the other night."

"Well, it'll be fine once we play on the Fourth." Bella stated. "It's just because we've never performed as a band, yet. I think we sound pretty frickin' good!"

The guys chuckled and Edward gave her an admiring look.

After another hour, the band was ready to wrap it up for the day. Alice sat in her chair working on ideas for advertising posters and outfit designs. She looked up when she felt someone standing over her. Jasper grinned down at her cradling Annabelle. "Hey, Ali, wanna' go for a walk, or something?"

Ali pushed her hair out of her face, "Sure! I'd like that, Jas! Let me put my stuff away." She jumped up and stored her folders in the drawer provided for her by Jackson, while Jasper tucked Annabelle lovingly in her case.

"You love Annabelle more than me!" Alice pouted, her eyes sparkling.

Jasper's eyes locked onto her pout. "What did I tell you about sticking that lip out?" he threatened with an arched brow. Her eyes widened when he pulled her towards him, his eyes on fire. He lowered his head and captured her mouth with his.

"God! She felt so good!" he thought sucking her lower lip into his mouth, savoring its taste and texture. Ali sighed against his mouth and he tightened his arms around her. Luckily, everyone else had left already and he reached up and pushed the button to close the big door. Then he walked Ali backward toward the wooden work bench his dad had built, his lips never leaving hers. He lifted her up to sit on the edge of the table and stepped between her legs. He was disappointed that she had shorts on instead of a skirt, but he made due with what he had. He ground his growing erection against her warmth and groaned into her mouth. She was so hot! He could feel the heat through both of their pants.

Alice put her hands against his chest and pushed, she hated this part. She loved when he kissed her and touched her stomach or her back, but she felt so repulsed when he rubbed himself against her like he was doing now. She knew he wanted her to have sex with him, but he had never actually asked her. She didn't think she'd ever want to, and felt guilty pushing him away, but there was no way she was letting him keep rubbing against her.

"Jasper! Stop it!" she shrieked, tearing her mouth away from his. He drew back some, his chest heaving, and tried to catch his breath.

He finally looked at her apologetically. "Sorry, Ali." He put his forehead against hers and gave her a little sheepish smile. "I guess I got carried away again, huh?"

She was scowling at him and he gave her his most pathetic puppy dog face. He saw her eyes begin to sparkle and her lips twitch. "I'm such a bad boy. I sure hope you'll forgive me, Darlin'." he drawled, and she grinned at him, shaking her head.

"You are a _very_ bad boy, Jasper Hale! You need to keep that... that... appendage... of yours, locked up!" she giggled at his pout. "Are you pouting?" She asked and put her mouth against his and sucked his lip into her mouth. His eyes lit up and she pulled away, giggling.

"You, are a tease, Miss Cullen." Jasper growled, looking into her eyes. "No one likes a tease."

She giggled again and stroked her hand down his cheek. "You do, Mr. Hale."

He grinned at her and kissed her cheek, "Yeah, I do." he sighed.

* * *

The big party was only two days away. Everyone was in a dither over the last minute details, but their excitement was palpable. Fourth of July was a big deal in the Cullen/Hale households. Their annual party was legendary in William's Bay and friends and family came from all around to revel in their hospitality.

Lynnette had taken the week off from her architect firm and Carlisle and Jackson had even tried to cut down on their hours. Except for baseball and band practice, the boys were working on the party 24/7, and Esme, Rose and Alice lived and breathed decorating and food.

The morning of the party, a huge tent was erected in the yard directly between the two houses. It had no sides, as they were rolled and tied up to use in case it rained, so anyone inside could still see the pool directly behind it or anywhere else in the yard. Over on the Hale side, a large wooded dance floor was laid down with a raised area set aside for the band to perform on and a DJ booth for later on that night.

Tables and chairs were delivered, as were huge coolers filled with ice, and a large refrigerator unit. These were placed on the Cullen side, as Esme's huge kitchen would serve as food central. Carlisle, Jackson and the boys filled the coolers with pop, juice pouches, beer and wine coolers. Rose and Alice filled red, white and blue balloons with helium and tied them with ribbon to decorate the tent and yard with. There were festive center pieces that the girls had made for each of the tables as well as American flags to hang everywhere.

Esme was filling the rented refrigerator with huge bowls of salads she had made and Lynnette was cutting Lemon Bars, Rhubarb Squares and Brownies into serving size pieces and arranging them on big trays.

At 3:00, the first people started to arrive and Emmett and Rose left to go pick up Lynnette's parents who were flying in from Arizona. Brent, Jasper and Edward were in the Hale's garage going over their playlist and waiting for Bella, and Ali, Jessica and Bella were getting ready up in Ali's room.

Rose had suggested a theme, as usual, so the girls were decked out in denim skirts and red, white or blue shirts. Rose had found a red, white and blue camisole with a heart-shaped neckline. She paired it with her denim skirt and had put her hair up in a curled pony-tail.

Ali's denim skirt was really short and had ruffles around the hem. She had on a red camisole that only came down to the very top of her skirt and let her belly peak out occasionally, the gold locket that Jasper gave her for her birthday, hanging down to just above her breasts. She left her hair long for a change, but had a braid running down one side to keep her hair out of her eyes.

Jessica had on a blue cap-sleeved T-shirt with red, white and blue sparkle accents, and a straight denim skirt that went half way down her thighs. Her hair was left loose, also, but she pulled it back with a sparkly red, white and blue headband. She was always complaining that she looked fat because of her rather impressive chest, but Ali and Bella thought she looked great and were sure that Brent would think so, too.

Bella had on a short, white camisole with a faded American flag on the front, a short, straight denim skirt and a short, denim vest. Her hair was loose and moussed so that it was kind of spiky, and she had short, white boots on. Alice lined her eyes with black liner and mascara and put red lipstick on her. She looked like she was ready to 'kick some rock band ass', as Jessica said.

The girls giggled as they made their way down the stairs, looking forward to a night of fun, and went out the front door and over to the Hales'. The boys were waiting impatiently and were about to chew the girls out for taking so long when they noticed Bella. Edward's eyes about popped out of his head and Brent let out a low whistle.

"Damn, Bells! If you weren't my cousin, I'd have to give Ed some competition." Brent chuckled. "You look hot!"

"You do, Bella! Wow! All three of you girls look gorgeous!" Jasper, always the diplomat, added, his eyes glowing as he looked Alice over.

Edward just stared at Bella, his eyes wide and lit up. "What do you think, Edward? You think Bella will get our band some attention?" Brent asked with a laugh, as he took in Edward's expression.

"Definitely!" Edward agreed. "She sure has mine!" Brent and Jasper laughed. Edward added, "You look really great, Bella! I mean, you always look great, but... wow!"

Bella blushed and giggled. "Thanks, Edward. It was all Ali and Rose's doing."

Alice shook her head. "No, Bella! I just enhanced what was already there. You are a sexy rocker chick if I've ever seen one!" The three girls giggled and the boys all nodded their heads.

"Well, I'm gonna' to go over and see how things are going. You should all come over in about a half hour, okay?" asked Alice. "You know you'll have to say hi to everyone before you play, anyway."

"Yeah, we'll be there." agreed Edward. "I want to see the grandparents anyway."

Jasper followed Ali towards the door, "You look... nice... " he said in a low voice, not wanting the others to hear.

"Thanks..." Ali said with a puzzled look. She looked down at herself, she knew she didn't look as good as the other girls, but Jasper was usually a little more enthusiastic. "The other girls look really good, though, don't they?" she asked, slightly disappointed.

Jasper led her closer to the door and put his mouth to her ear, "Well, yeah, but you look nicer... and... so hot... I wanna'... well, you know... " he leered at her, pressing his growing hardness briefly against her arm and laughed when she blushed.

She grinned and looked up at him, "You are so bad... I told you, you need to lock that thing up!"

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and guided her out the door. No one could see the door, or the little alcove next to it, from the party, as he half carried, half pushed her into the corner of the alcove and captured her lips with his. She melted into his arms and he boldly ran his hands up under the front of her shirt.

"Ali... " he groaned when she grabbed his hands. "Please... let me touch you."

"No, Jasper... there are people all over the place! Someone will see!" she gasped, as he tried to loosen her grip. "Stop! Jas... please!" She was feeling frantic. If someone saw them, she would just die.

Jasper gave up and leaned back against the wall. He looked at her but she kept her eyes lowered as he tried to catch his breath. After a minute, his breathing returned to normal and he rearranged his pants.

Alice finally looked up at him, regret on her face. "I would die of embarrassment if someone saw us. I'm sorry, Jasper."

He sighed and gave her a small smile. "I know. I'm sorry I keep pressuring you. My body has a mind of its own." His face changed into a devilish grin, "And it doesn't help that you are such a sexy little thing."

She giggled and slapped his arm. "Jasper! Stop it! Be good and go play with Annabelle. She doesn't mind you stroking her."

Jasper's eyebrows rose in shock. Alice was sure getting feisty lately. He leered at her. "If you'd let me stroke you just once, you wouldn't mind it, either." He quipped at her, laughing when her mouth fell open and went back into the garage.

"That'll give her something to think about." He grinned to himself.

Alice collected herself, shaking her head, and went back over to her house. The back yard was full of people by now, and she saw Emmett pull into the driveway with Rose and her grandparents. She ran to the front to greet them and squealed when they got out of the car.

"Gran! Gramps!" she danced from foot to foot in excitement as she waited for them to get out of the car. Rose's grandma, Lorraine, got out first and caught Alice up in a tight hug. "Angel! You are all grown up!" she cried.

"She is, isn't she?" Rose's grandpa, Bill, said, walking up and stealing Ali from his wife. He gave her a bear hug and grinned. "Thirteen, now, huh? Time sure does fly!"

Ali chatted excitedly as she escorted them into the Hale's house. Rose laughed at her chatter and Emmett put a hand on her arm. "Ali! Calm down! They'll be here all week!"

Alice blushed and looked contrite, but grinned when Gramps said, "Ali wouldn't be Ali if she wasn't excited and chattery!"

Emmett carried their bags to the guest room and they left them to freshen up after their flight. Alice skipped back outside and greeted people and then asked her mom if there was anything she could do to help. After about twenty minutes, Lynnette's parents came out and everyone crowded around them to say hi.

Alice was just about to go and remind the band to come over when she felt a big hand on her arm. She looked up into Matt's friendly aqua eyes. "Hi, Beautiful!" His eyes roamed over her in appreciation and he added, "You look really great, Ali."

Alice blushed and smiled. "Hi, Matt! How have you been?"

"Okay, but I've missed you. You still going with Jasper?" he asked, a flirtatious smile on his face.

"Yes, she is!" growled Jasper, coming up behind them and putting his arm around Alice. Alice gave him a startled look, but Matt just grinned at him.

"You can't blame me for asking, Jas." Matt told him, his eyes twinkling.

"Yeah, I can." Jasper gritted out. "Ali and I are doing just fine, thank you."

Matt laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Glad to hear it! Lighten up, Jas. I'm not into stealing other guys' girlfriends, especially when they're my friends. Just treat her well, 'cuz, if you don't, I'll be waiting." He laughed again at Jasper's scowl. "Well, I'll talk to you guys later. I'm gonna' go find Em."

Alice looked up at Jasper with a worried frown. He was glaring at Matt as he watched him walk away. Jasper let out a little growl and looked down at her. "Stay away from him!" he snapped and stalked off. Alice felt like crying but put on a brave face with all the people around. She smiled and went into the house. She told herself that she just wanted to check on Jasmine, and went up to her room, but, as soon as she picked up the soft, warm kitten, she burst into tears.

"Why is he always such a jerk?" she thought, laying down on her bed and petting the kitten on her stomach. Tears ran down into her hair, but she couldn't stop them. She didn't do anything wrong and, instead of sticking by her, Jasper had just walked away like she had done something bad. She curled up on her side and buried her nose in Jasmine's soft fur. "Maybe I should just forget about boys for a while," she thought. "Every time I feel happy, something always happens to ruin it."

She sobbed into the warm fur until she felt a touch on her arm. She looked up into sad, emerald eyes, filled with regret.

"I'm sorry, Ali. I don't mean to be such an ass." Jasper shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just a jealous jerk. Matt's a much nicer guy than I am, and you deserve someone nice. I just can't stand the thought of losing you. It makes me crazy." He ran his hand through his hair, his eyes imploring her to understand. "Please come back to the party. Don't let me ruin it for you." He brushed a few tears off her face.

She sniffled and sat up, wiping her eyes with her hands, Jasmine sound asleep on the bed. "I'm not interested in Matt, Jasper. I love _you_. Why can't you understand that?"

He looked down at the bed, ashamed and shook his head again. "I don't know. I guess I'm afraid that one day you'll realize what a jerk I am and find someone better."

"I already know you're a jerk." His head snapped up and his eyes were scared as he looked at her. "But I love you, so I guess I'll just have to learn to be less sensitive, huh?"

He smiled softly at her, his eyes still ashamed. "No, I have to learn to be more patient and treat you better. I always seem to be telling you that I'm sorry and making you cry." He reached up to brush a few strands of hair off her face. "Would you come back downstairs with me? I'll be nice, I promise."

"Okay, but I'll have to wash my face or everyone will know I've been crying." Alice told him and got off the bed to go to the bathroom. He caught her by the arm.

"I'm so sorry that I made you cry, Ali. I _will_ try harder to treat you better." Jasper promised.

"I know you will, Jas. I'll be right back." She gave him a smile and left the room. Jasper looked at the sleeping kitten and smiled She was so cute and cuddly. He was so glad that Ali loved her already.

Alice came back in the room, her face freshly-washed and her hair brushed. "Feel better?" Jasper asked her. At her nod, he smiled and went over to her, "Good. I'll spend all day making it up to you, okay?"

She shook her head, "No, Jas. Just act normally. Be your normal sweet and thoughtful self, just don't jump to conclusions or be mean if something happens that you don't like, okay?"

He nodded, looking ashamed, again. He had to work on his self-control, he couldn't chance losing Ali.

Alice took his hand and grinned at him, leading him out the door and shutting it behind her. "Oh! Did I tell you that I finally named our daughter?" she asked Jasper as they walked down the stairs, hand in hand.

He shook his head, "No. What did you name our... daughter?" he asked with a grimace.

Alice giggled. "Jasmine." She teased him. "After her daddy."

She laughed as he snorted and led her out the patio door. "If we were to have a baby, Ali, it sure wouldn't be covered in fur and poop in a box." He smirked down at her.

She cracked up and stood on her tiptoes and gave him a sweet kiss. "I'm gonna' go see if anyone needs my help. Why don't you get everyone to start setting up for your concert? I'm sure our dads are dying to hear you play."

He grinned down at her. "Okay, Bossy. See you in a bit!" He went next door as Ali went to find her mom.

* * *

"Lynnette!" called her mom, Lorraine. Lynnette turned to see what she needed. "Did I just see Ali kiss Jasper?"

Lynnette sighed, "Here we go." she thought. "Yes, Mom. Ali and Jasper are going together."

"Do you think that's wise, Lynn? They are very young and practically brother and sister." exclaimed Lorraine. "That's kind of... odd. What does Jackson think?"

"He's actually happy about it, Mom." Lynnette told her. "He and Carlisle have been hoping for Ali and Jasper to get together since the day Alice came home from the hospital. You know that boy has been smitten with her since day one, and she just dotes on him. It's natural that they would be together."

"I'm not really comfortable with that, Lynn. They are way too young. That's a good way to end up being a grandmother way before your time." Lorraine scolded.

"Yeah, I know. We didn't expect it to happen so soon. They've had 'the Talk' with all of us, and are not supposed to go out alone together. We're trying to keep open minds and communicate with all of the kids to keep on top of things." Lynn told her mom. "Besides, the kids are smart. They know what could happen."

"I suppose... but temptation is a strong demon and passion clouds one's mind. I'd be really attentive to those two, if I were you. They may be smart, but they're still human." She warned, disapproval evident on her face.

Lynnette sighed again, she hadn't really given much thought to what the grandparents would think of their grandchildren's relationships. "You're right, Mom. We'll have to be a lot more attentive. I definitely do not want the kids to ruin their lives. Thank you." She hoped that would pacify her mother for now. "I'll be right back." she added, and went to find Jackson.

She found Jackson giving Carlisle cooking advice while he watched him cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. She rolled her eyes and laughed when he grinned at her. "I need to talk to you two for a minute. My mom saw Ali kiss Jasper and had quite a lot to say about it. We need to tell the kids to lay off the public displays of affectionate while my parents are here."

Carlisle and Jackson exchanged knowing looks. Jackson commented, "I never thought about that. We shouldn't keep it from them, but we shouldn't rub it in their faces, either." Carlisle nodded, now worried about what his own mom would say when she got here.

"Well, when you see Jas or Ali, give them a heads up, okay?" Lynnette suggested.

"What about Emmett and Rose? Does she know about them?" Carlisle asked.

Lynnette shook her head. "I don't think so, though they're not as affectionate in public as Ali and Jas, we better tell them, too. My mom's gonna' shit a brick when she finds out about them." Lynnette grimaced.

Jackson grinned. "Gonna' be a long week, huh, Lynnie?"

Lynnette rolled her eyes. "You can say that again."

Carlisle and Jackson got ahold of Emmett when he came to ask them if they needed help, and he promised to keep it cool with Rose while his grandparents were here. He also said he would let Rose, Jas and Ali know, if he saw them.

Emmett went to find Jasper, and saw him setting up the band equipment with Edward and Brent. He filled Jasper in on what was going on and Jasper groaned. "Oh shit! I never thought of that."

"Don't feel bad, neither did your mom and dad. Your mom already got a lecture about being a young grandma." Jasper groaned again as Emmett added. "You better keep Little Jasper in your pants, Man. I don't want to have to kill you if you knock up my baby sister."

"Em! Man! I haven't even gotten to first base, and I am not planning on deflowering your sister any time soon." Jasper assured him with a grimace, turning red when Emmett laughed.

"That's what I hoped you'd say, seeing as she's only thirteen years old." Emmett said, putting Jasper in a headlock and giving him a noogie.

Jasper scowled, "Damn it, Em! Knock it off!" he grumbled, trying to fix his hair when Emmett let him go.

"See ya', Jas!" Emmett called, laughing as he walked away. Jasper grinned and shook his head. Emmett could be such a butt head.

* * *

"Ali, sweetheart! Come talk to Gran." Lorraine called as she spotted Alice. Alice smiled and walked over to Rose and Jasper's Grandma. "My! What a beautiful locket!" She exclaimed, picking it up to admire it."

"Thank you, Gran! Jasper gave it to me for my birthday!" Ali told her, her eyes sparkling.

"I heard from a little birdie that you and Jasper are going together now. You really love my grandson, huh?" She smiled affectionately at Alice.

"I do, Gran. Jasper has always been really special to me." Alice told her, a dreamy smile on her face.

"He has, hasn't he?" Lorraine acknowledged. "Just be careful, sweetie. You know how boys are, right?" At Alice's nod, she continued. "I hope my grandson is different, but most boys will pressure a young girl to do inappropriate things. You cannot give in to them. It's not good for a young girl to be with a boy... too soon. There are so many diseases out there and, of course, you wouldn't want to strap Jasper down with a baby, would you?" Alice blushed and shook her head, looking miserably down at her feet. "He wants to go to college to become a doctor, and babies are expensive and ruin lives if they come too soon. You know I think of you as my granddaughter, and I just want you both to be happy." She lifted Ali's chin with her hand. "You understand that, don't you, sweetie?"

"Yes, I do, Gran." Alice said, giving her a small smile.

Lorraine patted her on the back, "Good. Good. Well, I hear we are in for a treat. Jasper and his friends are in a band?"

"Yes! They are really good, too, Gran!" Alice told her enthusiastically, glad for a change of subject.

"Well, that's exciting! I can't wait to hear them play!" She told Alice, giving her a little squeeze.

Alice hugged her back. "They'll be ready pretty soon. Edward's in the band, too, and our friends Brent and Bella."

"Oh! There's a girl in the band? Well, that's... wonderful. Girls can do all sorts of amazing things nowadays, can't they? Is she a nice girl?"

"She's very nice, Gran! She is one of my best friends." Alice smiled. "She's also a very good guitar player."

"A guitar player? Oh my goodness! That is exciting! Well, you'll have to introduce me to her when you get the chance." Lorraine smiled.

"I will, Gran! I promise!" Ali bounced, excitedly.

"Okay! Well, you run along and have fun. I'll talk to you later." Lorraine said, fondly.

"Okay. I need to check with Mom to see if she needs my help." Alice told her, as she waved and walked away.

Alice no sooner got a couple feet away, when she spotted Papa Mitch and Nana Kate. Letting out a scream, she tore across the grass to hug them. Alice loved both sets of Jasper's grandparents, but she was especially fond of Jackson's parents. They lived nearby and were a lot of fun.

Alice hurled herself at Mitch who was already squatting with his arms wide. He caught her and gave her a squeeze, chuckling at her enthusiasm. "How's my little Ali Angel?"

"I'm great, Papa Mitch! I'm so glad to see you!" Ali squealed.

"What about Nana?" Kate said, holding her arms open.

Mitch let Ali go and she went and gave Kate a big hug, too. "It's so great to see you! I was sad that you had to miss my birthday!"

"We were, too, Darlin'!" Papa Mitch told her as she grabbed both their hands and dragged them to the party. "But we brought you a present!" Mitch teased her.

Ali jumped up and down. "You did? You didn't have to, but I'm glad you did!" She grinned.

Mitch and Kate chuckled. Ali was such a delight. "Go back to our car and get it, then. It's on the back seat." Kate told her, laughing as Alice was already running back to the car.

Alice gasped at the pretty package she found in the elder Hale's car. She grabbed it, closed the car door and ran back to the laughing grandparents. Her face was alight with pleasure and excitement. "Can I open it now?" She asked breathlessly.

"Of course you can, Darlin'!" Mitch told her.

Ali grinned as she tore the paper off. She gasped and looked at the adults with wide eyes. " An electronic reader? Thank you so much! You shouldn't have! It's too much!" Alice told them, excitement evident in her dark blue eyes as she hugged the device to her chest.

"We can buy our grandchildren anything we want to, Miss Ali!" Mitch said, with a twinkle in his eye.

"We know what a little reader you are, Ali, Pumpkin. We thought this would be a perfect gift for you." Kate told her, grinning.

Alice gave them both another big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It is perfect!" she breathed. "I've wanted one, but I never dreamed... " She squealed and hugged them again. "Oh! Thank you! Thank you!" She was dancing from foot to foot as she walked with them to the back yard.

Esme spotted them and grinned. "Mitch! Kate! It's so good to see you!" She hugged them both. "What do you have there, Ali?" She asked, exchanging looks with the Hales.

"It's an electronic reader, Mom! Isn't it fab?" She cried, holding it out for her to see.

"Yes, it is _fab_!" Esme laughed. "You should probably go put it in your room before the band starts."

"Okay, Mom! Be right back!" Ali flew into the house to take her gift up to her room.

"You guys are too generous! Thank you, though. I know she's wanted one for a while." Esme told them, grinning.

"Anything for our little angel!" Mitch said as Esme shook her head and laughed.

"Papa Mitch! Nana Kate!" Rose called and ran up to hug her grandparents.

"And there's are other favorite granddaughter!" Mitch called out, grabbing Rose in a bear hug.

"Rosie! You get prettier every day!" Kate exclaimed. "I bet your dad is beating off the boys, huh?"

Rosalie shook her head. "Only one, Nana." she said, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah?" said Mitch, grinning. "I bet I can guess who that is, huh?"

Rose blushed. "Papa!" Kate, Esme and Mitch laughed.

"Where is your young man, Rose?" Mitch asked, looking around. "In fact, where are the other two?"

"They are getting ready to give a concert, Mitch. Em is probably helping them set up." Esme told them.

Kate clapped her hands. "We finally get to hear them play?" She asked excitedly. Esme nodded and she grinned.

Alice came running out of the house. "Oh good! You're still here!" she gasped, out of breath.

Kate chuckled. "Where did you think we were going to go, Doll?"

"I just wanted to show you the locket that Jasper gave me!" She chirped, holding it out for her to see.

"Ali! That's beautiful!" Kate gasped, showing it to Mitch.

Mitch whistled. "That is something, Ali! Very pretty."

"It has pictures of me and Jas in it, too!" She opened it to show them.

"That is so sweet!" Kate gasped, admiring the baby pictures. "You both were so adorable."

She looked at Esme with a raised eyebrow. Esme gave her a knowing look, and Kate grinned and clasped her hands together in delight.

"Like mother, like son." Esme thought, looking at her with a fond smile.

Kate and Mitch exchanged a knowing look, also, and Mitch's face creased in a huge grin. Esme rolled her eyes, shook her head and laughed. The Hales were incorrigible!

Alice looked between all three of them with a puzzled frown. "What the heck are they smiling at?" she thought. Then she spotted Brent and Bella's parents. She ran over to them with a big smile and introduced them to her mom. Brent's mom already knew Esme, but her dad, and Bella's parents didn't. "Mom, this is Brent's dad, Brian and his little brother, Brad, and this is Bella's mom, Renee and her dad, Charlie." Esme exchanged greetings with them, and then Alice took them to see Brent and Bella.

* * *

Jackson and Carlisle were thrilled to see Mitch and Kate when they came over by them at the grill. After hugs and some catching up, Mitch congratulated them and they both looked at him, puzzled.

"What for?" Jackson asked.

"You finally got what you wanted all these years. Ali and Jas?" Mitch grinned.

Carlisle threw back his head and laughed. Jackson grinned. "They do make a cute pair, don't they?"

"Yeah!" Carlisle agreed. "Jax is already naming the grandchildren!"

Mitch laughed. "Well, one of 'em better be named after me! When's the wedding?"

Kate smacked him on the arm. "Don't you dare rush those kids, Mitchell Hale! They have plenty of time!"

All three men cracked up at her expression and she grinned, as pleased as they were.

"When's who's wedding?" came a familiar voice that made Carlisle's face split in a huge grin.

"Mom!" called Carlisle, grabbing her up in a big hug. "It's about time you got here!"

"You know me! I'm always fashionably late!" she giggled. "It's a gift."

Kate laughed and gave her a hug. "Good to see you, Alaina!"

"You, too, Kate! Mitch! Jackson!" She said, giving the men a hug, as well. "Now, who's wedding are we planning?" she laughed.

Kate rolled her eyes. "You know how impatient men are! It's Ali and Jas... "

Alaina's eyes widened and she looked at Carlisle. "Are they an item?"

At his nod, she asked, "Already? A thirteen year old bride, huh?"

Carlisle shook his head, "Now, Mom! You know we're just playing."

"Well, I should think so! We should wait until she's at least fourteen!" They all laughed and Carlisle said, "Poor Ali! She doesn't stand a chance in this family!"

* * *

"Well, Jas, I think that's everything." Emmett said, as he and Matt finished setting up the last piece of equipment.

"Thanks, Matt." Jasper told him, trying to be polite. "Thanks, Em. Will you tell our dads that we're ready then?" Jasper asked Emmett.

"Sure thing! Break a leg, dude!" Emmett grinned, knuckle punched him and loped off to find their dads, Matt grinned at Jasper before taking off after him.

Jasper let out a big breath. He had to admit he was nervous. He turned to Brent and Edward. "You guys nervous?" he asked.

Edward nodded, but Brent said, "Heck no! I've been waiting for this day all my life! My musical debut!" he crowed.

Edward laughed, "Brent, you are something else, Man. I wish I was as confident as you!"

"Me, too!" agreed Jasper, shuddering and wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Jas, you have an awesome voice, Man. Seriously! You got a way with the axe, too, you got no worries!" Brent told him, laughing at his expression. "We are gonna' kick some butt! I promise you!"

Edward and Jasper looked at each other. They hoped Brent was right. It was one thing to play in the garage for their friends, but quite another to play for their family and half the town.

Emmett came running back. "Okay! The dads say it's time!" Jasper gave Emmett a panicked look and gulped. Emmett cracked up. "Jas Man! You look like you're gonna' puke! Just look at Ali and sing to her. Pretend no one else is there. You can do it, Man." He clapped Jasper on the shoulder and walked over to get a seat. Jasper looked desperately around. He finally spotted Alice sitting on a chair over by his grandparents and Rose, holding her new camcorder. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss.

"Okay! I can do this! I'll just sing to Ali... " He cleared his throat and walked up to the microphone. He looked back at Edward, Brent and Bella. They nodded and Brent gave him a thumbs up. Turning back to the mic, he gulped and said. "Welcome to the Cullen/Hale Annual Fourth of July party. I hope you're all having a great time." The crowd cheered and Jasper smiled. "I'd like to thank you, on the behalf of my family, and Edward's, for coming." He nodded towards Ed. "Our dads invited us to debut our band today, so, I'm excited to say thank you for being our first audience. You know me, Jasper, and you know Edward. On the drums is Brent Michaels, and on bass is Bella Swan. We are NoiZe!"

Brent started the drumbeat for 'Cum On Feel the Noize', and they were on!

The concert went perfectly! As soon as they started to play, everyone relaxed and just got into the music. Jasper sang the first two songs, then Brent got into 'Gimme All Your Lovin' by ZZ Top, and Jessica and Rose got up to dance. Soon, people were dancing and feet were tapping and Noize was a hit.

Jasper sang three more songs, finishing off the concert with a Nickelback song, and the band got a standing ovation. Of course, the audience was all friends and family, but it felt good, all the same. Jasper thanked everyone for their appreciation and wished them a happy Fourth of July and to enjoy the rest of the party.

When the band came down from the platform, people congratulated them and told them how much they enjoyed the show. The band was grinning ear from ear, and riding a musical high. Alice ran up and hugged Brent, Bella and Edward, and told them how great they were. She then put her arms around Jasper and smiled proudly up into his eyes. "You were so awesome, Jas!" she squealed. "You sang better than I've ever heard you!"

He grinned down at her, blushing. "Thanks, Ali. I was singing to you the whole time. It made me less nervous."

It was her turn to blush and she smiled in pure pleasure. "Jas... " she breathed. She gripped the front of his shirt in both of her fists and started to raise up on her toes, a fire he had never seen in her eyes. Then, it came back to her where they were and, turning even redder, she kissed his cheek and let go of him, looking extremely embarrassed.

Jasper's stomach felt like he had been punched. He couldn't believe it, had Ali almost just initiated making out with him? He just stared at her in shock, then a shit-eating grin spread across his face. Innocent little Ali had been about to lay one on him, and had only stopped when she remembered that there were people all around. Now he was the one with the fire in his eyes. He couldn't wait to get her alone!


	43. The Big Party, Part 2

**Author's Note: I know... I promised this to some of you a couple days ago, but... it got a little complicated, so I needed to simplify it some. And, no, it wasn't because I was reading other FanFics this time! xD (Although 4 of my stories updated over the past 2 days! Yea!) o) **

**For those of you who asked, yes, I did see Eclipse! I saw it on Wednesday in iMax! It was awesome and I LOVED the Jalice scenes! Ashley looked so pretty and Jackson looked so much like how I pictured Jasper when I first read the books. (Jax is adorable, but I didn't think he looked much like I pictured Jasper in the first two!) If you saw it, or are planning to see it, I hope you enjoy it! ~Charli**

43.

The Big Party, Part 2

Jasper and Alice walked over to the patio where Jackson and Carlisle stood. As they approached, they were greeted with huge grins. Jasper swore his dad even had tears in his eyes.

"Jas, you guys were... just so... terrific!" Jackson told him, grabbing him up for a big hug. "I knew you were good... but... "

He looked at Jasper, and then hugged him again. Jasper grinned and rolled his eyes at Alice. She giggled and Carlisle laughed.

Carlisle hugged him. "You guys were really great, Jas! I'm impressed, and proud.

"Thank you, Mr. Carlisle." Jasper said, grinning, and then looked at his dad again.

"Dad, thank you. I'm really glad you liked the music." Jasper offered.

"I did, son! I really did!" He turned back toward the grill and tried to wipe his eyes without anyone seeing, but Carlisle and Jasper smirked at each other, and Ali giggled.

Alice decided to give Jackson a break. "Mr. Jackson, is there anything I can do to help out?" She asked him.

"Actually, there is," he said, with a slight sniffle. "We're about to set out the food, you can help us."

"Sure!" she chirped, with a bounce.

"I'll help, too, Dad." Jasper told him. "What do you want us to do?"

"Why don't you start by asking the Hens what we should start with." Jackson suggested, and Ali and Jas nodded and went into the house.

Esme and Lynnette asked them to get the salads out of the refrigerator in the yard and set them out on the big table that was set up to hold the food.

Ali and Jasper went into the large fridge to get out the salads and Jasper pounced on Ali as soon as they were out of sight. He grabbed her and started kissing on her neck.

Ali let out a little scream and started giggling. "Jasper! You are so naughty!"

He looked down at her, wiggling his eyebrows, and grinned. "I know!"

She pushed him away, still giggling, "Save it for later!" she told him. His eyes widened and his face split into a huge smile.

"Save it for later? Hmmmmm... that sounds promising!" he thought, watching as she picked up a huge bowl of pasta salad.

The rest of the kids showed up to help, including Brent, Bella and Jessica, and the food was all set out on the table before they knew it. Carlisle invited their guests to start eating and everyone marveled at the feast that was offered. There were several kinds of salads offered, including a few kinds of potato and macaroni salads, a few different kinds of pasta salad and even a few different Jell-O salads. There were hamburgers, hot dogs and, a Wisconsin staple, bratwursts boiled in beer and onions, and then grilled. There were Lynnette's desserts and a few different kinds of potato chips. There were veggie trays and dip, and even several different fruit salads. Everyone was groaning by the time they were done eating, and the DJ that was hired for the night began to set up his equipment.

While they were waiting for the music, Emmett motioned for the boys to come to the front of the house with him. They followed him to the front, wondering what he was up to. Emmett motioned for them to gather close. "I got a bunch of fireworks for later." He whispered. "We just have to be careful 'cuz Dad will have a fit if he finds out."

Edward glared at him. "Emmett! Dad will not only have a fit, he will kill you!"

"Both of our dads will kill you!" Jasper added.

"Lighten up, you guys!" Brent said. "Fireworks are a blast – no pun intended – we'll just be careful!"

"Yeah! Stop being such pussies! God! Do you guys always have to what you're told?" Emmett asked, exasperated.

Jasper and Edward looked at each other, then back at Emmett.

"Well, I guess we could try them out if we're really careful." Said Edward.

"Yeah," agreed Jasper. "we should wait until after dark and take them down to the park with us."

"Well, alright! You guys ain't such pussies after all." Emmett laughed.

"We'll have fun, guys! I promise!" Brent told them.

The DJ started playing music, and the boys decided to go back to the party and see what was going on. Rounding the house, they saw the girls all dancing. Rosalie and Alice were doing the Bump and laughing uncontrollably, Bella swaying uncertainly nearby, and Jessica was dancing with Papa Mitch.

Jasper elbowed Edward. "Go dance with Bella, Ed."

Edward looked desperate for a second. "I don't know... "

"Come on, Ed!" Encouraged Emmett. "Stop being such a pussy! Gee-zus! You two are impossible! If Jas hadn't already gotten laid, I'd say both of you were hopeless!"

Jasper glared at Emmett. "Knock it off, Em! It's not like I planned it!"

"Well, all I know, is that Edward better shit, or get off the pot!" He stated, nodding his head toward the dance floor.

All four boys looked to see Adam Randall leading Bella out to dance. Adam was in Emmett's class and played baseball with him.

"God damn it!" Edward swore and Emmett and Jasper gaped at him. "Don't look so shocked. I ain't a five year old."

"I hate to tell you this, Edward, but I've heard five year olds talk worse than that!" Brent laughed. "You small town boys ain't very worldly!"

"Ha! Ha! Brent! Ya' dick!" Emmett said, and Brent and Jasper cracked up.

They reached the edge of the dance floor, and Alice and Rose came prancing over. Alice grabbed Jasper's hand and pulled.

"Come dance with me, Jas!" When he balked, she looked up at him from under her lashes and licked her lip. "Jas... " she purred, tipping her head, "Please... "

Jasper stared at her. "What the hell? Where was this stuff coming from?" he let her lead him onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around him and nonchalantly rubbed her chest against him briefly.

"Whoa!" his eyebrows shot up his forehead and he looked stunned. Alice giggled and looked over at Rose who smirked at her.

It was Emmett's turn to be shocked. "What the hell had just happened?" he pondered. "Rose and Alice in cahoots over Alice flirting with Jasper?" He let Rose lead him out onto the floor, as well, and the two girls starting giggling again.

Emmett and Jasper exchanged puzzled looks but kept dancing with their girls. They'd have to see what these two were up to.

The song ended and Bella thanked Adam for the dance. He asked her if she'd like something to drink and, before she could answer, Edward walked over and asked if he could have the next dance. Bella tried not to grin like an idiot, and nodded her head.

Adam looked disappointed but, seeing the look on Bella's face, told her he'd talk to her later and left her to Edward.

Edward took her hand and smiled. "Sorry I didn't ask you sooner, Bella. Emmett had to have an... emergency meeting... "

Bella smiled shyly up at him. "It's okay. Thanks for asking me." The both grinned when they heard a slow song come on. Edward pulled her closer, but not flush against him, and Bella sighed happily.

Jasper's grandpa bowed to Jessica. "Thank you for the dance, Jessica. It was a pleasure."

Jessica giggled. "Thank you, Papa Mitch. The pleasure was all mine." He grinned at her and went over to claim his wife for the slow dance. Jessica looked over to see Brent standing next to her.

"Hello, Jess. Would you like to dance?" he asked her.

Jessica blushed, "I would love to, Brent."

Alice and Rose exchanged another mysterious glance and started giggling again.

"What the hell was going on with those two?" Emmett wondered, looking down at Rose. Rose looked up at him and smiled innocently, but Emmett knew her too well to be fooled. He quirked his brow at her and she looked down and giggled again. "Hmmmmm... " Emmett loved a good mystery.

The eight friends danced a couple more dances, exchanging partners occasionally, when a few of the guys from Emmett's baseball team walked up and asked the girls if they would dance with them. Jasper was surprised when Matt asked Jessica instead of Alice, but he was relieved. There was just something there that pissed Jasper off!

The four boys stood by watching their girls dancing with guys who were supposed to be their friends. Bella looked a little uncomfortable dancing with Nick Compton, but Jessica seemed happy to be dancing with Matt. Rose and Alice were giggling and flirting with Dylan Shane and Adam Randall, and Emmett and Jasper just glared at them.

The song changed and, before they knew what was happening, the girls were all paired up with different guys. Matt was now dancing with Alice, Adam was accompanying Bella, and Dylan and Nick had partnered Jessica and Rose.

Jasper sputtered, "What the fuck?" and started to walk onto the floor. Emmett and Brent grabbed him by the arms.

"Jas! Jas! Man, think! Do you wanna' do this at our parents' party? Let him dance with her. He ain't hurtin' nothin'. He's just trying to piss you off so that you look like a jerk in front of Alice. Be cool."

Jasper shook his head, "I'm gonna' kill the mother fucker." he hissed, when he saw Matt run his hands up Ali's back. Brent got in front of him, and Edward murmured in his ear.

"Listen to Em, Jas! Don't do this here. Besides, look at Ali's face." he told him.

Jasper focused on Ali's face. She looked apprehensive and the happy expression she was wearing just seconds ago, was no where to be seen. He frowned. Was it his fault the happiness had drained out of her? Just then, she looked over at him, she was pale and worry creased her forehead. He reached down deep inside himself and pulled out a brilliant smile for her. She looked surprised and grinned happily back at him. His whole body relaxed. Ali was his. She could dance with every guy here, but she was still his.

Emmett looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, Jas, ya' finally got it." he said, nodding, and slapped Jasper on the back. They exchanged a grin and Emmett went to claim his woman for the next dance. Jasper just crossed his arms confidently and watched as Matt smugly started dancing with Alice again.

"Whatever, Fucker." Jasper thought, laughing to himself, Alice grinning adorably at him.

Alice skipped over to Jasper when the music ended. She couldn't believe he wasn't mad that she had let Matt dance with her. She didn't know what to do when he asked and he had just taken her in his arms. She stopped a few feet from Jasper to reassess his mood, looking a little unsure. Jasper smiled lovingly at her and held out his arms. She grinned and snuggled into him. He kissed the top of her head and looked up at Matt. Matt gave him a little bow and walked away.

"Ha! That's right! Walk away, asshole... far away!" He thought to himself, sighing in satisfaction.

The party was winding down and the kids were getting ready to walk down to the park for the town fireworks display. Most of the older guests had gone home or, in Lynnette's parents case, gone to bed. A lot of the parents with young children had headed for home, also, but quite a few of the parents of teenagers were hanging around yet, enjoying the evening air and visiting with Carlisle, Esme, Jackson and Lynnette. Their kids were planning on going down to the park for the fireworks, also, and everyone had pitched in to clean up most of the left over food and dishes.

Emmett wrapped the fireworks he had bought in one of the blankets they were taking to the park with them. He and Brent grinned at each other as Edward kept a lookout and Jasper distracted the girls. A couple of Emmett's baseball buddies were in on the scheme, also, and they were planning on having a lot of fun. Brent grabbed a small pile of blankets and Jessica's hand as they started on their way to the park. Emmet walked out with some blankets, also, and the hidden fireworks.

"You ready, Rosie?" he asked. Rose nodded with a smile and the rest of the group followed behind them.

"Bella," Edward said. "would you watch the fireworks with me?"

Bella smiled shyly and nodded. "I'd love to, Edward. Thank you."

Edward grinned. She was so confident when they were performing, but offstage, she was so self-conscious and shy. She was the most intriguing girl he had ever known, and the most beautiful. He calmly took her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. She squeezed his back and they strolled happily behind the others.

Once at the park, Emmett, Edward and Jasper started laying out the blankets for everyone to sit on. Emmett pulled out the stashed fireworks and Rose's eyes widened.

"Emmett Alan Cullen! What are you going to do with those fireworks?" Rose hollered at him.

Emmett rolled his eyes and smirked. "I am going to light them, Rosalie Lenae Hale!"

"Damn it, Emmett! You know what I mean!"Rose yelled at him. "You are not supposed to mess with those! Your dad is going to kill you!"

"Not if he doesn't find out!" Emmett yelled back, putting his nose to hers.

Rose let out a huffy noise and stalked over to Alice. "You know all the advice I gave you about guys?" Ali nodded, looking puzzled. "Forget it! They are not worth it! They're all jerks!"

Alice covered her mouth to stifle her giggle and Jasper looked between Rose and Alice. "Advice?" he thought. He wondered what advice Rose had given Alice. He knew something had been going on between them all day, and Alice had definitely been acting differently.

Alice had been feeling powerless in her relationship with Jasper and had asked Rose for help. Rose had told her some things to try to gain the upper hand. "It's better to lead him around, then to always be scrambling after him." she'd told her, but now she wasn't so sure that her advice would work, after all. Emmett was always doing stupid things he knew she wouldn't like, yet, he would usually stop if she caught him. Lately, he'd just been attempting to pacify her, and tonight, he just hollered right back in her face!

"I'm going home, Ali. Are you gonna' stay here with Jasper?" Rose asked her. Alice looked desperately between the two. "Alice, you can stay here if you want to. I'm not going to be mad. I just want to make sure you are okay."

"Thank you, Rose." Ali said and looked questioningly up at Jasper. He smiled down at her.

"Please stay and watch the fireworks with me." he said.

Alice looked back at Rose. "Okay, have fun and be careful." Rose told her. "And you!" She said to Jasper. "You better take good care of her! I am not kidding around, Jas!"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Rose, we're here with a bunch of other people and I'm not going to leave her side." Then he said in a quiet voice, "Rose, will you at least let me walk you home? It's getting dark."

She smiled. "Thank you, Jas. You're a good guy. I'll be fine. I'll see you back at home."

Jasper watched his sister walk away and felt bad that she would be alone tonight. Emmett came over by him.

"Hey Jas! Where'd Rose go?" he asked.

"She went home, Em." Jasper told him.

"Damn it! That woman is going to be the death of me!" Emmett growled, stalking toward home.

Jasper looked down at Alice who was still standing next to him. She looked back up at him, chewing her lip. "Don't worry, Darlin', they'll work it out." He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him.

Jasper led Ali over by Edward and Bella who were sitting together on a blanket. "Hey Ed... Bella... Mind if we sit with you?"

"No! We want you to." Bella told them, excitedly. Jasper looked over at Edward to make sure it was okay. Edward nodded. Jasper sat down and pulled Ali down on his lap. Alice giggled and snuggled against his chest.

Jasper told Edward what had happened with Emmett and Rose. Edward groaned. "Oh great! Why is Emmett such a douche? Sometimes he acts like a three year old."

Alice giggled and Bella grinned at her. Jasper squeezed her, but kept looking at Edward. "They'll work it out, Ed. You know Emmett can't stand it when Rose is mad at him."

"I suppose... " Edward started, but stopped when they all heard screaming. The four of them looked down the road and saw Emmett coming with Rose slung over his shoulder. She was kicking and screaming, but Emmett looked like he couldn't even tell.

Alice and Bella both stared wide-eyed, but Edward and Jasper smirked at each other and Jasper covered his mouth to hold in his laughter. Rose would kill him if she heard him laughing.

Emmett walked over by his brother and sister, and their friends, and sat down on the blanket next to them, Rose still flung over his shoulder. "Emmett! If you want to live to see tomorrow, you better let me down right now!" Rose ground out. Emmett grinned at the others and patted Rose on the butt. Alice's eyes got even bigger and she gasped.

"Emmett! Please let Rose down. She is going to kill you." Alice whispered furiously.

"Naw, she won't. She loves me." he grinned, but finally set Rose down on the blanket in front of him. "Remember, if you take off again, I'll just come get you again." he told her, laughing.

"I hate you, Emmett Cullen." Rosalie gritted her teeth. "I will never talk to you or go any where with you ever again."

Emmett just laughed and Alice looked worriedly down at the blanket. She had never heard Emmett and Rose talk to each other like this before. What if she followed Rose's advice and Jasper got worse? She chewed on her lip and twisted her fingers together wondering what she should do. She looked up as she felt Jasper's finger under her chin.

"It's okay, Ali. Don't worry... please. They'll work it out." He assured her. She smiled at him and relaxed back against his chest, Jasper's arms holding her close. She still wasn't sure what to do, but she felt safe and loved.

Rose sat on the blanket, arms crossed over her chest, silently fuming. She vowed that she would never speak to Emmett Cullen again as long as she lived. She looked up as the first firework display burst in the sky. Everyone oohed and aahed and Alice clapped her hands. Jasper gazed down at her affectionately and smiled. Rose loved watching him, watch Alice, they were so cute. She sighed, she hated when her and Emmett were mad at each other. Well, she didn't know if he was mad at her, but she sure as hell was mad at him. He had run after her while she was on her way home and just picked her up and brought her back here. He hadn't apologized or promised not to light his fireworks, he just acted like she belonged to him. She didn't like it. He was supposed to dote on her and do whatever she wanted, just like always.

Emmett watched Rose out of the corner of his eye. He was nervous that she really might break up with him, but he couldn't give in to her with all the guys around. Besides, he had been looking forward to setting off these fireworks for almost a month now. He looked around at all of the other kids. Most of them were cuddled up with someone, and here he sat, at least three feet away from Rose and her scowling at him.

He decided to push his luck just a little bit more. He reached over and pulled her towards him and up on his lap. She stayed stiff and unyielding, but didn't try to pull away. He nuzzled the side of her neck.

"Rosie," he whispered. "You know I love you... please don't be mad. I just want to have some fun."

She looked at him, "I know, Em, but you could get hurt."

"I'm not gonna' get hurt, Rose. They're not even that powerful." He tried to convince her.

"Well, if you do get hurt, don't cry to me." She ground out, pissed that he wouldn't listen to her.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "If I get hurt, I'm not gonna' cry to you, but I might ask you to kiss it." Her eyes widened slightly and she smacked him, her eyes twinkling. He was such an ass, but he could always make her laugh.

Alice watched them eagerly, taking in everything, and Jasper watched her. "Why was she watching them so intensely? He thought. She didn't look worried, just, extremely interested. He again wondered what the heck Rosalie had told her as 'advice'.

Alice watched Rose regain control of her and Emmett's situation. Emmett flirted and complimented her like crazy, trying to appease her, and Rose, making him work for it, gradually gave in. Soon, they were hugging and kissing and watching the fireworks together.

"Hmmmmm... " Alice thought. "Rose played hard-to-get, while Emmett tried everything to get her to smile and forgive him. Then she had him eating out of her hand, again." She looked up at Jasper, he grinned down at her and looked back up at the sky. "Would that work on him?" she wondered. "He was always bossing her around and she didn't always mind it, but he was getting more and more physical, and she didn't know how to deal with it. Rose had promised her to never leave her alone with him, but they had been alone a lot since then, and she couldn't count on Rose to keep him off of her. She had to 'gain the upper hand', like Rose taught her.

Alice lay against Jasper's chest. She looked so relaxed and comfy. Jasper kept looking down at her like she was the most important thing in the world. Bella and Edward were sitting next to each other, holding hands, occasionally looking adoringly at each other, and blushing.

Jessica felt a little jealous. She had really been into Brent from the first time she had seen him, but she had been disappointed to see him with Alice. She hadn't really been friends with Alice, her older sister had tormented Alice since they were in Kindergarten, and, at first, Jessica had done the same. Then, they had been taught that bullying someone wasn't right, and Jessica had realized that she didn't want to be mean like Lauren, but, by then, she felt too ashamed to try to make friends with Alice. When school started this past year, she had seen that Alice was in her gym class and had smiled at her and said hello a few times. The next thing she knew, her and Alice were, if not friends, friendly. When Brent had showed up in their class, she had been instantly smitten. Her heart had sunk when she saw him hanging with Alice, but, when she'd asked Alice about him, she had said they were just friends. Ever since then, her and Alice had become good friends, and Alice had been trying to get her and Brent together.

Now, Jessica finally had Brent's attention, but he just didn't seem that into her. Not like Edward, Emmett and Jasper. Maybe he only asked her to be with him because they were the only two in their group who weren't a couple.

Jessica sighed and Brent's eyes flew to hers. Jessica looked surprised, but then smiled sweetly at him. He made a gulping sound and looked away again. "What the heck?" Jessica thought. "Did he decide he didn't want to be here with her, after all?

Jessica felt like she was going to cry. She swallowed a few times to try to hold back the tears and finally got control of herself. She wrapped her arms around her middle and figured, if she could hold it together until the fireworks were over, she'd be okay, at least until she got home.

"Jess?" she heard Brent say, softly. "Are you cold?"

She didn't trust herself to speak, so she gave him a little smile and nodded. It had gotten a little chilly now that it was dark out, so she wasn't really lying. Brent looked a little insecure as he just sat next to her on the blanket.

He was usually so confident. How come he felt so unsure of everything when it came to Jessica. He had always thought she was pretty, but lately, he just couldn't look at her enough. What if she didn't really like him like that? Could he play it off like he just wanted to be friends if she didn't feel the same way? He looked over at her. She was looking down at the blanket, her arms still wrapped around her middle. She almost looked like she was about to cry. He couldn't take it any more. He had to take the chance. If he was wrong, he'd just have to deal with it.

"Jess?" He hesitated when she looked up, her eyes sad. "Um... would it be okay... well... I'd like to..." Brent swallowed and avoided her eyes. Why was this so hard? He'd never been this stupid around a girl before. He took a deep breath. "I'd like to put my arm around you. Would that be okay?"

He chanced a look at her face and she was smiling shyly, not quite looking into his eyes. "I'd like that." she answered softly. She looked into his eyes, the shy look still on her face.

Brent grinned, scooted closer and put his arm around her shoulders. She sighed happily and leaned against him. He closed his eyes and congratulated himself on not losing his cool and going for it. With a sigh of relief, he looked over at Alice. She was looking at them with an affectionate smile and, when she noticed him looking her way, she grinned at him. He grinned back and nodded toward Jessica. Ali put her hand up to her mouth to smother a giggle. Jasper looked down at her to see what she was doing and when she glanced up at him, he grinned at her and hugged her tighter against him, before looking back up at the fireworks. Alice snuck a look back at Brent and they grinned at each other again, each enjoying the others' happiness.

The fireworks had been great this year and, after they were over, Emmett decided it was time to light his fireworks. Rose scowled and sat on the blanket with her arms crossed, refusing to look at him. Emmett looked at her for a second but then shrugged his shoulders and picked up the fireworks. He walked a few feet away from the group and set them on the ground again. Pulling a lighter out of his pocket, he decided to light a few of the bottle rockets first. A couple of his buddies came over to help and they lined the bottle rockets up, stuck the attached wooden sticks into the ground and lit them.

Everyone clapped when they shot into the air and exploded, and Emmett had a self-satisfied expression on his face. Rose huffed at him, still scowling and he grinned. Sometimes he just loved pissing her off. She was so damn beautiful, even when she was mad, and making up could be so much fun.

The guys were being careful as they continued to light off Emmett's fireworks and Rosalie had to admit that they looked good. Finally there was one more bottle rocket left, and Emmett had an idea. He looked over at Rose. She was talking to Alice and Jasper and wasn't looking his way.

"Hey, Junior!" He said, motioning for his friend to come closer. "I've got an idea! I'm going to put this bottle rocket somewhere, and I want you to light it for me, okay?"

Junior grinned. "Okay! Where are you gonna' put it?"

Emmett started laughing and put up his finger to tell Junior to hang on a second. Finally he got a hold of himself. "I'm gonna put the stick where the sun don't shine, and shoot it out of my ass."

Junior cracked up. "No way, Man! Oh my God! You are fuckin' amazing!"

"Okay, I'll put it there, and then you light it." At Junior's nod, Emmett undid the snap on his shorts and pulled them down over his butt. He put the wooden stick of the bottle rocket between his butt cheeks and bent over. Some of the guys noticed what he was doing and started to laugh. Rose looked over and jumped up off the blanket.

"Emmett!" she yelled. "Don't you dare!"

Junior lit the fuse and stepped back. Jasper set Alice off his lap and jumped up at the same time Edward did. They gaped at the fuse as it started to spark. Emmett let out a scream that could've rivaled Alice's and started jumping around. "Get it out! Get it out!" he yelled, and his friends started falling to the ground in hysterics.

The bottle rocket finally loosened from Emmett's butt and fell to the ground where it exploded and shot across the grass. Emmett continued to jump around screaming that his 'ass burned' and Jasper and Edward looked at each other before cracking up.

Rose tried to catch Emmett to get him to stop jumping around, and Bella, Alice and Jessica looked around at all of the boys laughing. The few other girls that were still there, just looked around, too. Rose finally got Emmett to calm down and said she was taking him back to the house so his dad could make sure he wasn't badly burned.

Alice looked at Jasper bent over laughing and frowned. How could he laugh when his best friend could be badly hurt? She started to follow Rose and Emmett home, but Rose told her to stay with Jasper and Edward before leading Emmett down the road.

Jasper stopped laughing enough to see Alice standing next to him, frowning. "I'm sorry, Ali." he gasped trying to catch his breath. "Is Emmett okay?" He giggled, but managed to stay focused.

"I don't know." Alice answered. "Rose took him home so Dad could look at him."

Jasper started laughing again. Alice scowled at him. "Jasper! He could really be hurt!"

"I know! I know!" Jasper wheezed out. "I can't help it! What was he... thinking?"

Edward stumbled over, followed by Brent, both of them gasping for breath. "Is... Emmett hurt?" Edward managed to ask.

"We don't know... " Jasper told him. "Rose... took him... home... so your dad... could look... at his ass!"

The three of them started cracking up again and Alice looked disgusted. Bella and Jessica walked over by her.

"Alice, I hope Emmett is okay." Bella told her, patting her on the arm.

"Yeah, I hope so, too." agreed Jessica.

"Thank you, you guys." Alice said, hugging them both. "He seemed to be okay when he and Rose left, but he could be badly burned."

The three girls looked over at the boys again, shaking their heads at how annoying they were being.

Gradually, they stopped laughing and gained control of themselves again. They looked sheepishly at the girls. "Sorry! We couldn't help it. That was just... so funny!" Edward said.

"We would've stopped him if we had known what he was planning." Agreed Jasper. "I can't believe he was that stupid! He should've known that the fuse would shoot out sparks."

Brent let out a giggle and Edward bit his lip, trying not to laugh again. Jasper coughed and put his hand over his mouth to hide his grin.

Brent cleared his throat and gasped out, "I bet... he burned all the hair off... his ass." To which the three boys bent over in laughter again. The girls gave them dirty looks and started to pick the blankets up to take home.

Jasper put his arms around Alice. "No! I'm sorry. Don't go yet." He fought to control himself and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm done. I... won't laugh... any more." He fought down the urge to smile, and bent down to pick up and fold a blanket.

Edward, still chuckling, picked up a blanket, also, his hands shaking so much from laughing, he could hardly fold it. The six teens gathered and folded most of the blankets, some of the other kids helping as their laughter died down, and stacked them in a pile.

Adam and Dylan decided to go back to the house to check on Emmett and said they would take the blankets back with them. Jasper sat down on one of the few blankets left, and Edward joined him. "Do you guys want to walk down to the carnival?" Edward asked Jasper.

Jasper looked over at Ali talking to Brent, Bella and Jessica. "I don't think so, Ed. I just wanted to spend some time with Ali. You guys go and I'll walk Ali home and take the rest of the blankets."

"Alright. Thanks, Jas." Edward told him. "I sure hope Emmett is okay. Do you think we should go home instead, and check on him?"

"Naw. I got my phone with me. Rose would call if it was bad." Jasper assured him.

"Yeah, you're right." Edward gave in. "Let me know if Rose calls, okay?"

"For sure! Don't worry." Jasper nodded. "I'll let you know."

Edward walked over to the others and told them what was going on. Edward took Bella's hand, and Brent took Jessica's, and they strolled down the path toward where the carnival was being held on the other side of the park.

Alice watched them go for a minute, before turning toward Jasper. "Why aren't we going to the carnival?" Alice asked him, puzzled.

"Sorry, I should've asked you first." Looking guilty, he ran his hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "I told the others to go on without us because I wanted to spend some time alone with you." He told her. "We can go to the carnival instead, if you want to."

Alice looked up at him, wondering what she should say. If he wanted to spend time with her, why couldn't they do it at the carnival? "Um, no... that's okay." She said with an uncertain smile. "We can do whatever you want."

"I just thought we could take the blankets home and maybe, I don't know, just spend some time together. I... kind of wanted you to myself... that's pretty selfish, isn't it?" He looked ashamed, but hopeful.

Alice remembered her talk with Rose about gaining the upper hand in their relationship. She didn't know if she could be dominate like Rose, but she could try...

It was dark out, but it was a clear night and the moon was bright. Alice could see his features clearly, so she knew he could see hers. She glanced around, making sure they were truly alone, she was really nervous, but she knew she shouldn't waste this opportunity.

She looked up at him through her lashes. He was just looking at her with a worried expression on his face. She took a few steps toward him and put her hand on his chest. "Jas... " she purred in a husky voice. She saw his eyes widen slightly and she had to hide a smile.

"Uh... yeah?" he stuttered, his hand in his hair again.

"Would you... like to kiss me?" she whispered, still gazing up through her lashes and running her hand down his chest like Rose had shown her.

Jasper made a gulping noise and nodded. She stood on her tiptoes and stretched up, but he just stood there looking down at her. Alice suddenly felt embarrassed and stepped away, looking down at the ground.

"Um... I... well... I'll get the blankets." Alice muttered, turning to pick up the remaining blankets. Suddenly, she let out a squeak as a strong arm grabbed her around the waist, spun her back around and slammed her against a rock hard chest. She gasped and looked up into Jasper's eyes. They stared down at her, almost black and burning with an inner fire.

"Alice... " he rasped out before lowering his head. She felt a moment of fear, but reminded herself that it was Jasper, just before he claimed her mouth in a demanding kiss. She froze for a second but let him mold her lips to his and then reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair. She tried to think about what Rose had told her, but her knees started feeling a little weak and she found herself clinging to Jasper's shirt. Her head was spinning and she felt like the ground was tilting.

Jasper couldn't believe it when Alice had come on to him. He wasn't sure what was going on with her, but she had surprised the hell out of him. When she had turned away, he was still so shocked, he almost let her go, but his hormones kicked in before his brain and he'd just grabbed onto her. He was so turned on by her boldness, that he couldn't even think straight.

He lifted Alice in his arms and she clung to him. He couldn't stop kissing her, but his knees felt weak, so he lowered her to one of the blankets that was still spread on the ground.

Ali felt her back touch the ground but she still kept her hands gripped onto Jasper's shirt. Her head was spinning and her stomach felt all fluttery and strange. She barely registered the fact that she was now laying on the ground with Jasper laying partially on top of her. She felt his hand stroke the bare skin of her side while his other hand curled in her hair. He moved his lips down her jaw to just below her ear and she shivered and let out a moan. He groaned in answer and kissed down her throat to her shoulder. The whole world was spinning and she couldn't find anything stable to hold onto. She moaned again and reached up with both hands and grabbed ahold of Jasper's hair. She'd never felt so disoriented before, and fought to regain control of herself.

She felt Jasper's hand slide up her bare stomach and she grabbed his hand, her other hand still twisted in his hair. He was panting and she could feel his heart beating fast against her own. His hardness pressed against her and he groaned.

"Alice... please..." he begged. "Please... let me... I need to touch you... "

Her head had cleared a little and she remembered what Rose had told her about gaining the upper hand. She loved Jasper, and she knew he loved her. She wanted their relationship to work, but she needed to be able to have some control over something in her life. She slowly let go of Jasper's hand and squeezed her eyes shut, waiting.

Jasper reared back in surprise when she let go of his hand, his breath coming in heavy pants and his erection straining against the zipper of his shorts. He gazed down at Ali, his vision clouded with lust, and she tugged hard at his hair. He groaned and slid his hand up and under her bra to cup her budding breast. He groaned deep in his throat at the satiny feel of her skin and attacked her mouth with his own. He stroked his hand over and over her silky nipple, feeling it pebble under his touch. She moaned and arched her body up into his and he lost control. He started to grind himself against her. He could feel the extreme heat of her right through her panties and he started moaning uncontrollably.

"Ali! Oh God! I... I love you... Ali! You feel so... good... so... hot... ooohh!" He sucked hard at the skin of her throat as his body exploded into a million pieces and he shouted out his release. After what seemed like a lifetime, his body collapsed onto hers and he groaned.

Alice felt the humiliation wash over her as Jasper's weight pinned her to the ground. She was sprawled under him, her skirt pushed up, her legs spread wide and her top and bra pulled up on one side, her bare breast covered by his hand. She still had her eyes squeezed shut, but now her hands were fisted by her sides. His weight pressed into her and she could barely breath. She concentrated on breathing and just waited for him to move, or something.

Jasper felt boneless. He couldn't move at all, it was like he was paralyzed. Slowly, he came back to himself and realized that he was crushing Ali. Before he could move off of her, it hit him what he had just done. He was horrified at himself. He had lost all control and ground himself against Ali like an animal. He raised himself and looked down at her. He could make out her pale face in the moonlight and could see that she had her eyes shut tight. He couldn't believe he had treated her like that. He rolled off of her with a groan, his pants a sticky mess.

"Ali... " he whispered. "I... I'm... Oh my God! Ali, I'm so sorry."

Before he could even finish apologizing, she was up on her feet and running.

"Ali wait! Ali! Wait! Come back!" He jumped up to run after her, but he couldn't even see which direction she had gone in. He put his hands in his hair, panic rising in him. He had to find her.


	44. She's Mine

44.

She's Mine

"Oh my God..." Jasper groaned, feeling guilty and ashamed. He rolled off of Alice. "Ali... I'm so sorry." But, before Jasper could even finish apologizing, Alice was up and running away.

"Ali wait! Ali! Wait! Come back!" he yelled. He jumped up to run after her, but he couldn't even see which direction she had gone in.

He put his hands in his hair, panic rising in him. He had to find her.

He looked desperately around and heard a sound off to his right. He took off toward the sound, hoping it was her.

He stopped running and listened again. He couldn't see further than ten feet in front of him, and he couldn't hear anything but the faint breeze and the distant noises of the carnival. He clutched at his hair again, despair washing over him.

Jasper looked around, desperately. "How am I going to find her?" He thought, clutching his head in his hands, his chest pounding. "God... She hates me.. I know she does... I've gotta' find her... "

Desperation was making him frantic. He had to calm down so he could think straight, but he just couldn't catch his breath. Then, he had an idea. He pulled out his phone and called hers. He heard her ringtone far off to his right and took off toward it. He'd find her if it took him all night.

Alice found herself running at breakneck speed away from Jasper. She didn't know where she was headed. She just knew that she had to get away. Humiliation coursed through her as she again experienced what had happened. She'd tried to control the situation like Rose told her to, but she had no idea what she was doing, and she sure didn't know that Jasper would... do what he did. She slowed down, clutching her middle and looked around her. The park was surrounded on three sides by woods, and she was heading straight for them. She couldn't see much, but she knew it would be even darker in the woods. She stopped, bending over to try and catch her breath. She listened for a second to see if he was following her, but she didn't hear anything.

Just then, her phone rang. "Emmett!" she thought in a panic. She pulled out her phone and saw it was Jasper. She just couldn't talk to him right now. She pushed the button for the call to go to voicemail, and stuffed the phone back in her pocket. At least he wasn't chasing her. She felt relieved and sank to her knees on the ground. She needed a few minutes to collect herself before figuring out which way to go to get home.

A pounding noise registered in Ali's brain as she rested on her knees in the grass. She glanced around, trying to figure out what it was.

"No!" she panicked as awareness washed over her. It was someone running. She jumped to her feet and dashed to the dark protection of the woods. She could make out a pine tree that grew low to the ground and fell to her hands and knees to scramble under it. She froze and tried to hold her breath. Her chest was bursting, but she couldn't let him find her. She didn't want to see him. Not yet. She was too embarrassed. Too disgraced. Too... mortified.

She put her hand over her mouth to muffle her breathing, tears of humiliation running down her cheeks. She had acted so... wantonly, and now she was on her hands and knees in the dirt, hiding from the one person that she had always felt would be there for her, no matter what.

Jasper looked around hopelessly. He had no idea where she could be. He couldn't give up, though, Ali was missing and upset, and it was all his fault.

His shoulders slumped, maybe he could try her phone again, if she hadn't turned it off, that is. He called her again and, there it was, her ringtone, off to the left and just inside the trees. He walked quietly toward the sound and it abruptly stopped. She was hiding from him but, if he could be quiet, he might be able to find her before she could run off again.

Moving stealthily through the grass, he reached the edge of the trees. He paused, listening for any sound. Nothing. "Damn!" He ran his hand through his hair, she had to be right around here somewhere. He waited another couple minutes and, just when he was about to try her phone again, he heard a twig snap and could barely make out a small, dark shape coming hesitantly out of the woods, moving away from him.

Jasper glided ever so slowly behind the tiny shadow, waiting for his chance to get close enough to catch her. She stopped and he could tell she was listening. He held his breath and waited for her to move again. She took a couple steps and stopped again. He was glad he hadn't moved when she did. She finally started walking normally, and he continued to creep quietly up behind her.

Jasper breathed in relief. He was so close he could make out her pale arms and legs in the moonlight. Another couple feet and he'd be close enough to run up and grab her. Just then, she heard a sound behind her and froze. Jasper, not anticipating her sudden halt, continued to move forward. Alice's head whipped around and she let out a squeal when she saw him. She took off running again, but his long legs overtook her easily.

Jasper reached out and grabbed her from behind, she screamed as loud and shrill as she could and started to fight him. He clutched her to his chest, trying to hold her flying limbs down. She kicked and screamed and scratched. "Ali... please... please... don't do this... please... stop."

She continued to fight him. "Let me go! Just... leave me alone. I... don't... I don't want to... see you right now." She cried, anguish making her voice husky.

"I'm so sorry, Ali. I didn't mean to... hurt you." Jasper gasped out, still fighting to subdue her. "Please... at least let me... walk you home."

She finally stilled, going limp in his arms, her head down, gasping for breath. He let out a sob of relief, trying to keep the tears in his eyes from falling. He sniffed and cleared his throat, "I'm... I'm going to... to let you go now." he rasped out. "Please... Ali... don't try... to run away... okay?"

She just stayed limp for a minute, before nodding. Jasper attempted to set her on her feet, but her legs gave out. "Ali? Can you... stand?" he asked her.

She nodded and tried to stand up, her knees shaking, she suddenly felt so exhausted. She whispered. "Please... just give me... a minute."

Alice caught her breath and motioned for Jasper to set her down. She wobbled on her feet for a second, his hands holding her in case she fell, and regained her balance. He slowly turned her toward him, but she wouldn't look up.

"Ali?" Jasper started to put his hand under her chin to raise her face to his, but she shook her head and turned it away. He went down on his knees so he was at her eye level. She tried to turn away again, but he stopped her, his hands gripping her upper arms. "Ali... please... I... I didn't mean... to... do that. I just got so... carried away." He looked at the ground. "I would never... never... hurt you... intentionally." He turned his eyes to hers, then back down again. "I'm so ashamed."

She looked at his face, his expression full of self-loathing, and wondered why he felt ashamed. He glanced up and saw her puzzled features, "Why? Why do you... feel ashamed?" She asked him. "I'm the one..." she looked down again, "who... who... acted like a... like a... slut..."

Jasper's brows arched and he looked at her like she was crazy. "What are you talking about, Ali? You didn't do anything wrong. I don't understand."

He watched her intently, but she wouldn't meet his eyes. "Ali, talk to me... tell me what you mean."

She looked up, but quickly let her eyes fall back to the grass. "R... Rose and I... well... I asked Rose... she told me... I should make you... because you kept..." She looked at him helplessly, her mouth still trying to make out what she wanted to say.

He stroked her cheek, "Ali... it's okay... can I walk you home and tomorrow, we can... talk about this?"

Alice looked at him, still kneeling in front of her, his eyes pleading, his expression miserable. She sighed, she loved him so much. She needed to get this out... tonight.

"I asked Rose if I could do anything to... get you to stop... being so bossy and always trying to... touch me. She said I had to... gain the upper... hand. You know... be in control... make you... want me so much... you'd... I could... get you to do... what I wanted..." She looked at the ground again and shook her head slightly. "I didn't do... a very... good job."

"Alice! Are you telling me that Rose said to... tease me... so I'd desire you so much that I'd do whatever you wanted?" Seeing her hesitant nod and despondent expression, Jasper asked her, "Couldn't we have just... talked about it? You used to talk to me all the time... even when it was about me. I wish... I wish you could trust me." He watched her face. She looked guilty. "I know there were times where I didn't deserve your trust, but you've always been able to at least talk to me." He ran his hand through his hair, a thought occurring to him. "Is that why you didn't tell me to stop? Because you... teased me, so you felt you... owed me?"

At her guilty expression, Jasper shot to his feet. Alice grabbed on to him in desperation. "No! Jasper... No... I liked it. I did... until...you... until you... "

Jasper pushed her off of him and turned away, running his hand through his hair again. "Until I practically raped you?" He turned back to her, a savage look on his face. He grabbed her arms again, shaking her slightly. "You think it's okay for me to treat you that way? To... degrade you... to... use you? Just because you batted your eyes and flirted with me?" He let her go and she looked down at the ground, wrapping her arms around herself.

Jasper fell to his knees again, lifting her chin so she was looking him straight in the eyes. "Alice... you don't deserve to be treated like that... ever. No one does. You are a wonderful person. You're so... thoughtful and caring... sweet... loving... fun... beautiful. Don't ever... ever... let anyone... including me... treat you like you're not worthy of respect. I'm... in love with you, and I've treated you no better than... than Lauren Stanley does!" His voice broke, his expression pained as he cupped her face in his hands. "Alice... you are so special. You are the kindest, most genuine, most caring person I know. You must make yourself believe what I'm telling you. You are worth so much more than that."

Tears welled in her eyes as she gazed at Jasper's adoring expression. He leaned forward and kissed her gently. Her eyes fluttered shut, a tear running down her cheek, and she put her arms around his strong, wide shoulders. As she wound her fingers through his hair, he felt the familiar stirring he always felt whenever he touched her, and he pulled back. She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

He shook his head, "I am never going to touch you like that again, Ali. You are too important for me to throw it all away because I can't control myself." He stood up and took her hand. "Will you let me walk you home now?" he asked her.

She nodded and let him lead her toward where they had left the blankets. Jasper gathered up the last few blankets and they headed home.

They walked in silence, Jasper sending sidelong glances her way, watching her worried face as she chewed on her lower lip. He couldn't believe he was such a jerk. He must've scared her half to death, and then she had blamed herself. What the hell was Rose doing, giving her advice like that? That flirting shit might work on Emmett and make him follow Rose around like a puppy, but on most guys, it would just give them the wrong impression. Alice was so naïve when it came to guys and sex. She didn't know the first thing about controlling a guy. She was always trying to please others. He wouldn't be surprised if she let him have sex with her just to make him happy.

When they reached Ali's house, Jasper stashed the blankets in the garage and led Ali inside to see how Emmett had faired. Emmett was laying on his stomach on the couch watching TV, Rose sitting in one of the nearby chairs. When they walked in, both Emmett and Rose looked up at them with a smile.

"Hey, Em! How are you feeling?" Alice asked kneeling next to him. Jasper stood behind her, a look of concern on his face.

"I'm okay, Ali." Emmett answered grinning. "Just a few minor burns that should be fine in a day, or two."

"What did Dad say?" she wanted to know, her brow worried into a frown.

Emmett glanced at Rose who was still looking at the TV. "Well, he wasn't happy," he looked back at Alice. "but he was surprisingly understanding, especially after he looked at my... injuries." They heard a muffled snicker come from Rose's direction, but when they looked over there, she was still concentrating on the TV. Emmett looked at Jasper, who was trying to stifle a smile, and Emmett grinned at him before both boys started laughing. Alice watched them in disgust before looking toward Rose. To her surprise, Rose had a huge smile on her face. Rose looked over at her and burst into laughter, too. Alice frowned at the three of them. She could see no humor in Emmett being burned.

"Ali, lighten up!" Emmett told her, chuckling. "I burnt my... butt by putting a bottle rocket between my... cheeks and... lighting it." Jasper bent over laughing and Rose wiped tears from her eyes. "That is funny shit, Ali." Emmett continued.

Alice shook her head, "I don't see anything funny about you hurting yourself, Emmett. You could've been seriously injured. That was a really stupid thing to do." She stood up and walked toward the stairs, "It's been a long day, I'll see you all tomorrow." They were still laughing and Rose waved at her. She shook her head at them and started up to her room.

Jasper ran toward the stairs. "Ali! Wait! Please... " Alice halted and came back down. She stopped a few stairs from the bottom and Jasper stood there looking up at her.

"Um... are we okay?" He asked, anxiety evident on his handsome face.

Ali smiled at him, and nodded. "Yeah."

He smiled back and put his arms around her waist. "I am sorry, Ali. Please talk to me from now on... please?"

She put her arms around his shoulders and touched her forehead to his. "Yes. I promise."

Jasper grinned at her, his eyes sparkling. "Love you, Ali." he said.

"Love you, too." she told him, kissing the tip of his nose.

He pulled her down a stair so they were at eye level. "Can I kiss you good night?" he whispered so Rose and Emmett wouldn't hear.

She grinned and nodded.

He smiled adoringly at her and covered her lips in a tender kiss. She sighed against his mouth and her eyes fluttered shut. He pulled back and gazed at her beautiful face. She opened her eyes, caught his expression and blushed.

Jasper laughed at her blushing. She was so damn cute. He could just watch her for hours. "Sleep good, Ali. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

She smiled shyly at him, "Okay... good night."

Jasper let her go and Alice reluctantly took her arms from around his shoulders. She turned and started up the stairs, looking back over her shoulder at him as he watched her. She caught him admiring her butt and she blushed and giggled. He looked up at her face and gave her a devilish grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

"He was so naughty", she thought, as she turned and ran up the stairs.

* * *

Emmett finally caught his breath and looked at Jasper as he walked back into the living room. "So, how was the carnival? Did you and Ali have fun?"

Jasper looked guilty and ran his hand through his hair. "Well, we never made it to the carnival."

"Jasper!" Rose shouted, "Why didn't you take Ali to the carnival? Where have you been all this time?" She had gotten out of the chair and was standing next to him, her hands on her hips.

"Calm down, Rose. You saw for yourself that she's fine." Jasper said with annoyance, the guilty look back on his face.

Emmett looked between him and Rose, "What's going on, Rose? Why are you so angry that Jasper didn't take Ali to the carnival?"

"Because..." Rose ground out, glaring at Jasper. "it seems that Jasper can't keep his... hands... to himself. If he and Ali didn't go to the carnival, what have they been doing for the past hour, or so?" She kept analyzing Jasper's face and knew that something was up.

Emmett looked at Jasper with a murderous look on his face. "Jasper, convince me that Alice is still as innocent as she was when she woke up this morning, and I won't kill you."

Jasper looked desperate for a second, and Emmett started to get up off the couch. "Emmett, I didn't... she's still... she's fine. Geeze!"

"Then why the guilty look on your face?" Rose interjected, suspiciously.

"I... we... were... ah... kissing, and I... wasn't very... respectful... " Jasper stammered.

"God damn it, Jasper. What did you do?" Emmett demanded, coming all the way off the couch and grabbing Jasper by his shirt.

Jasper put up his hands, "Emmett... nothing... I didn't hurt her... I had an... I was... excited." He turned bright red and couldn't look Emmett in the eye.

"Oh," Emmett said, understanding dawning on his face. He let go of Jasper's shirt. "You had a boner. So? What's the big deal?"

Rose looked at Emmett with contempt. "What? A guy can't help it, Rose. It just... happens." Emmett told her. He looked back at Jasper and nodded. "So?"

Jasper ran his hand through his hair in embarrassment, he couldn't tell Emmett what he had done to Alice. Emmett would beat the crap out of him. "Well, Ali... knew... " He winced, boy had she known, in fact, he really needed to go home and take a shower and change.

"Jas, maybe you and Ali should cool it until she's a little older. I... I'm not sure... it's a good idea... " He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. "It's just... you've had... sex... and Ali... well, she's really just a... baby still. She's no where near ready... for that. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, Em, I get it. I'm not planning on having sex with Ali. I just got... a little carried away." Jasper sighed in annoyance.

"Well, Jas, I would feel a lot better if you and Ali... uh... broke it off... for now." Emmett quietly told him.

Jasper gaped at him and Rosalie gasped, "Emmett! That's not fair... Jasper loves Ali. He wouldn't hurt her. You know that!"

"I know, Rose." Emmett sighed. "I just don't think Jasper can control himself. What if he... ah... coerced Ali into... something she's not ready for... and something terrible happened?"

"Emmett, Jasper is my little brother, and has been like a brother to you all of your life, how can you even say something like that?" Rose scolded, exasperated.

Emmett growled, "Because, it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened, Rose."

"Well, you've been somewhat... persuasive... yourself before, Emmett." Rose told him.

"Yeah? Well, I've managed to control myself, haven't I?" Emmett ground out. "I'm still a virgin at seventeen, and your little brother here, is more experienced at fifteen, than I am."

He looked at Jasper. "Why don't you find yourself another girlfriend like Savannah? Then you can have all the boners you want. You need to keep your hands off Ali, Jas."

Jasper was furious, "Emmett, I am not going to find someone else. I am only interested in Alice." He went chin to chin with Emmett. "I love her! I am going to marry her some day."

Emmett glared at Jasper. "Then wait until she's old enough and marry her. Until then, keep your hands..." he looked down at Jasper's crotch with contempt. "and everything else... off of her."

Jasper fisted his hands and growled at Emmett. "_You_ have _nothing_ to say about it."

Emmett pushed his chest out and fisted his hands. "Oh, yeah?" he snarled, closing the gap between him and Jasper. "She's _my_ little sister. I have _everything_ to say about it".

"She doesn't belong to you, Emmett." Jasper ground out. "She's _mine_!"

"Ha!" Emmett mocked him. "That's where you're wrong, _little_ man. She isn't _yours_!" They were nose to nose, growling and snarling at each other. Rosalie had never seen Jasper and Emmett act this way before.

"Enough!" Rosalie shouted, getting between the two of them. "This is not helping anything. Jas, maybe you and Ali should take a break... just from kissing, and stuff... and Emmett, you need to calm down and realize that Alice isn't a baby, anymore. She is old enough to know if she likes someone, or not."

"Loves..." Jasper interrupted, and Rosalie looked startled by his input. "She's old enough to know if she _loves_ someone, or not." Jasper said pointedly, still glaring at Emmett.

"She's just a baby, Jas. She doesn't even know what love is." Emmett sneered at him. "She'll grow up and find someone else and realize she didn't even like your smug ass."

Jasper and Rose both gasped. Jasper reached around Rosalie to hit Emmett, his eyes filling with angry tears.

"She will not! She loves me!" he shouted, trying to get at Emmett.

Rose had her hands on Jasper's chest, trying to stop him from getting at Emmett. She knew any minute he would figure out that he was now much stronger than she, and Emmett was just looking for an excuse to hit Jasper. She looked at Emmett over her shoulder.

"Gosh, Emmett. Alice is exactly the age we were when we started going together. I guess I must not really love you since I feel the same way I did then." She gave Emmett an innocent look. "I guess we should take a break, as well."

Emmett looked stumped and Jasper stopped trying to get around Rose.

"Now, Rose, you know I'm just trying to look out for both of them." Emmett told her. "What if Jasper got Ali pregnant? It would ruin both of their lives. Ali is only thirteen, for God's sake, and Jasper obviously can't keep his dick in his pants."

Jasper attacked Emmett again, Rose desperately trying to hold him back. "Yes, I can! I told you! I'm not planning on doing anything with Ali. I wouldn't hurt her like that."

"Damn it, Emmett!" Rosalie shouted at him. "Knock it off! You know you'd sleep with me if I let you. Quit trying to be a fucking martyr. Alice is perfectly capable of keeping Jasper in line. You don't give your sister any credit. You're being an ass."

Emmett looked taken aback. He knew what Rose said was true. He looked at Jasper and felt guilty for the things he'd said. Jasper was furious and he'd be dead if looks could kill.

"Sorry, Jas. Rose is right." Emmett sighed and Jasper stopped trying to get at him. "I just hate the idea of anyone touching Ali like that. She is so... I don't know... tiny... and innocent, ya' know? It makes my stomach turn to even think about it." He shuddered and gave Jasper an imploring look.

Jasper nodded. "I do know what you mean, Em." He pictured how Alice had looked crumpled beneath him tonight, and felt remorseful. She had looked like a delicate flower crushed beneath a rock. Defeated and humiliated.

He ran his hand through his hair, maybe Emmett was right. Maybe he couldn't control himself. Maybe he would end up hurting Ali in the worst way and destroying them both.

Jasper looked at Emmett, his shoulders slumped. "I'll think about what you said, maybe you're right."

Rose shook her head. "Jasper, no. You cannot hurt Ali like that again. She would be devastated. You have to man up and do the right thing."

"What if letting her go is the right thing?" He asked, defeat, evident in his whole demeanor.

Rose put her arm around her little brother's shoulders. "It's not, Jas. I know it's not. You just have to work on being everything to Ali and putting your needs after hers. She'll do the same, and you'll both be happy." She smiled encouragingly.

Jasper didn't look convinced, but he nodded. "Okay. That's the least I can do, huh?" He watched her for encouragement. "Why does this love shit, have to be so hard?" he asked them both.

"I don't know, Jas Man." Emmett said, putting his hand on Jasper's shoulder. "If you find the answer, let me know."


	45. The Aftermath Concert

45.

The Aftermath

Alice stepped out of the shower and gasped when she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.

There were dark bruises on both of her knees and on her left hip. She saw finger-shaped bruises on both of her upper arms and she had a big hickey on the left side of her neck where it met her shoulder. She turned so she could see her back and saw a big, dark bruise on her left shoulder blade and two long scratches along the top of her right shoulder. There were also a couple bruises on her butt and one on her upper inner left thigh. She sighed and turned to inspect her face. There was a small scratch on her right cheek and a tiny bruise at the corner of her mouth.

She took in her whole face and wondered what Jasper saw when he looked at her. Though she thought her eyes were a pretty color, her dark lashes made them appear way too big for her face. Her nose was okay, but her lips seemed oddly shaped, with her bottom lip being way too full like she was pouting all the time. Her skin was nice, but she was kind of pale in contrast to her dark hair and, even after being out in the sun, she still appeared too pale in her opinion. She didn't need to be as beautiful as Rose, but she wished she was at least pretty like Bella or Jessica.

Alice looked over her body again and liked that she was finally getting some curves, though her breasts seemed to be getting almost too big for her small body, her hips barely flared from her waist and her arms and legs were too skinny. She knew she'd never be tall like Rose, or even as tall as her mom or Bella, but she hoped she grew enough to look like a woman and not forever a little girl.

She sighed again and ran the comb through her hair. It was almost to her waist again and she wondered if cutting it would make her look any older. She twisted it into her usual long braid and slipped on her robe to go back to her room. Out in the hallway, she heard Edward talking to someone and looked up as Jasper came out of his room. His eyes widened in surprise and then pleasure as he spotted her. Suddenly, his face twisted with guilt as he obviously remembered what had happened after the fireworks last night.

She smiled reassuringly at him as he approached her. "Hi, Ali." he mumbled, looking unsure of himself.

"Hi, Jasper. What are you up to today?" she asked him, trying to set him at ease.

"Not much. Edward wants to practice for our concert next weekend, but I really would like to spend some time with you today, if that's okay with you." He looked at her hopefully, but, before she could reply, his eyes narrowed and he lifted his hand to pull the collar of her robe aside. "Ali... " he gasped, spotting the dark hickey. "I'm so sorry. I... didn't mean to hurt you."

She reached up and grabbed the robe to pull it back over her neck. "It doesn't hurt." she said, but hissed in pain when he held her by her upper arms. He let go of her instantly but steered her into her room and shut the door behind them.

"Let me see your arms." he demanded, pulling on her robe.

"No!" she gulped, clutching her robe together as tight as she could. "I'm... n... not dressed... "

He scowled. "I want to see your arms, Alice."

She pulled the neckline of her robe down over her shoulder, but clutched it to her chest.

"God damn it." Jasper cursed, seeing the bruises on her arm. He looked at her face. "Is the other one the same?"

With wide eyes, she nodded and he cussed again. "Where else?" he demanded. At her innocent look he threatened. "Alice, I want to know... now. I can easily take the robe off of you and look for myself."

"Um... on my back... a couple... real small... " she told him.

"And... " he pressed, watching her intently.

"That's all." she said.

He snorted, "You're a terrible liar." as he reached for her robe and started to tug it open.

"Okay! Okay... my knees, my shoulder and... the inside of my leg." She hurriedly gave in, clutching the robe as tightly as she could with him tugging on it.

He let go of her robe and ran one hand through his hair, a look of remorse on his face. "God, Ali. How could I do that to you? You're so small and I'm... just... a... a... jerk... a big... bully... "

"Jas... it's okay. I'm not hurt and you won't do it again. I'll make sure." She tried to soothe him.

"It is not okay, Alice. Stop making excuses for me. I have no right to... to... touch you like that. Maybe Emmett's right... " he broke off, his mind shying away from the thought.

Alice put her hand on his arm. "Maybe Emmett's right about what, Jas?" she prodded him.

He looked at her, his teeth working his lip, deciding what he should say. "Emmett said we should, well... take a break. You know? Wait until we're older to... be together... not sleep together... well, yeah, wait until we're older for that, for sure... but, go together, go steady, date... whatever... He thinks you're too young... and you are... and I guess, so am I... but I don't want to... " he implored her with his eyes. "I don't think I could stay away from you, Ali... I tried once before... it's... impossible..."

"Jasper, no... I can't... I can't not be with you." She looked desperate. "We can be more careful... I'll tell you no... all the time... "

"It's okay, Ali. We'll work it out, I promise." Jasper reassured her, rubbing her back as he hugged her, his mind working for a solution.

"Okay." She said in a small voice, hugging him back.

* * *

A few days later, Jasper and Edward were in the Hales' garage waiting for Brent and Bella to get there. Their first real concert was tomorrow and they were both a nervous wreck. Jasper was playing the songs they were going to perform over and over on his guitar, making sure he knew them all, even though he could play them blindfolded. Edward was making lists of the things they needed to take with them so they wouldn't forget anything. Jasper had messed up so many times that he had lost count and Edward had a pile of crumpled up paper on the floor next to him. They both looked up as they heard a giggle coming from the opened back door. Alice stood there watching them with a fairly large cardboard box in her arms.

"Ali," Jasper said, putting his guitar down and rushing over to her. "you shouldn't be carrying such a big box." He took it from her and bent over to give her a kiss. He pulled back and grinned at her. "Hi."

She smiled shyly up at him, "Hi."

"Where do you want this?" Jasper asked her, nodding at the box.

"Over by the workbench, please." She followed him over by the workbench and he set the box down on the floor. "Thank you, Jas."

"No problem, Babe." He said with a goofy smile.

"Babe?" Alice said with a grin, rolling her eyes.

He laughed. "What's in there, anyway?" He asked, looking down at the box again.

Alice sauntered over to him and ran her hand down his chest, looking up at him through her eyelashes, "Wouldn't you like to know?" she purred. She felt him shiver and she giggled. She loved this new feeling of power she had over him sometimes.

He shook his head at her and bent over to whisper in her ear. "After what happened a few days ago, I didn't think you'd try that on me, again."

She gazed up at him with a pout, "Try what?" she asked with false innocence.

His eyes darkened as he stared at her protruding bottom lip. "Ali... " he growled in warning.

She grinned and looked over at Edward who was still furiously scribbling his list. Jasper looked over his shoulder at Edward and then back at Alice.

"Ha! You think you're safe because Edward's here?" She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling, and he bent down so they were nose to nose. "Edward would never be able to keep me from you." he warned in a husky voice. Alice just kept grinning at him and he stood up and laughed. "You're awfully brave today."

"You won't hurt me, Jas." She continued to grin happily, her eyes adoring him.

He laughed again, shaking his head at her. "You're right, Ali. I wouldn't... hurt you, that is." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She giggled again, she loved when he flirted with her. He could be so goofy. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the chin, the closest to his mouth she could reach when he wouldn't bend over, and he grinned mockingly at her for being so short.

"Are you gonna' tell me what's in the box, now?" Jasper asked and Alice burst out laughing.

"Jasper!" she scolded. "Yes, I'll show you what's in the box, but it's not very good for my ego that you want to see what's in the box over kissing me."

"There's always time for that later." he grinned and she shook her head at him with a smile, bending over to open the flaps of the box.

Jasper bent over to peer into the box and Alice pulled out something black. She held it out and Jasper's eyes widened.

"Alice! This is awesome." he exclaimed as he reached out to take the black T-shirt from her. It had their band logo on the front in neon colors and 'Come on, feel the NoiZe' across the back. He looked at her in astonishment. "When did you order these?"

"I wanted to surprise you guys. I designed and ordered them a few weeks ago." she told him, smiling with pleasure at his reaction.

Jasper turned toward Edward. "Ed! You gotta' see these."

Edward looked up and walked over to them. His eyes took in the shirt and he smiled at Alice. "Alice, this is really cool. How come you didn't tell us?"

She was lit up with pleasure from their praise. "I wanted to surprise you, Edward. Do you like it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's great, Ali. Does Bella or Brent know?" he asked.

Alice shook her head. "No, I wanted it to be a surprise for all of you. I got each of you one, and I ordered extras for Emmett, Mr. Jackson and us girls. That way we can all wear them to the concerts if we want." Her eyes shone as she looked at them admiring the shirt.

Edward gave her a tight hug. "Thank you, Ali. Thank you for everything, the concerts, the shirts, the posters... everything. You worked so hard on it all and I don't think we ever even thanked you."

Alice blushed and smiled happily, hugging herself. She loved being appreciated and included. She couldn't be happier, she had her family, she had Jas, she had friends now, she was part of the band – even if it was only as the artist and scheduler – she had her kitten, and her and Edward got along great. She sighed, life was good.

Brent and Bella walked in through the big garage door carrying their overnight bags.

"Wassup?" Brent called in a silly, high-pitched voice. Bella just smiled and waved.

Edward, Alice and Jasper greeted them and Edward motioned for them to come over by them.

"Look what Ali got us." Edward told them, proudly, holding up a T-shirt.

Brent whistled. "Those are major cool." he said. "Do we all get one?"

Alice nodded her head with a grin. She bent over the box and pulled out several shirts in different sizes. "Here Bella, this should fit you... " She handed her a smaller one. "Jasper, is this size alright for you? Edward? Brent?" She handed them each a shirt, hoping she was at least close to their sizes. She had asked her mom for help, so they should be okay. She saw Edward nodding and Brent pulled off his shirt to try his on. Jasper said his was fine, but Bella looked a little worried.

"Ali? I think this one may be too small... I like shirts to be a little bigger..." she hesitated, chewing her lip.

"It's okay, Bella. Take a bigger size then, although you should try them on to be sure." Alice offered, handing her another shirt.

After they all decided their sizes were right, Alice put the rest of the shirts in a plastic bag and put them in the cabinet Jackson had set aside for her stuff.

"Okay, guys, let's get some practice in before dinner. It'll be our last one before our gig in Whitewater tomorrow." Edward suggested.

"You're not worried, are you, Ed?" Brent asked him, looking astonished.

"Well... " Edward started, scratching the back of his neck.

"Edward! We are gonna' be great!" He looked at Jasper. "Jas... not you, too? What's with you guys?" He rolled his eyes. "We rocked your parents' fourth of July party. We know these songs like the back of our hands. We're gonna' be legends in southern Wisconsin. You wait and see." He grabbed his sticks and started drumming out a beat. "Let's have fun with it!" He shouted.

Jasper grabbed up AnnaBelle with a grin and played along, Alice, Bella and Edward smiling as they watched them. Jasper's fingers flew over the strings and he bit his lip and bobbed his head as he lost himself in the music. Alice sighed, he was so handsome and just... sexy... especially when he played his guitar.

Bella couldn't stand it, she got out her guitar and joined in so, of course, Edward pounded the keyboard and they were in a full-out jam session. Alice climbed onto her chair and pulled herself up to sit on the workbench behind it. She wiggled her foot and bobbed her head, just enjoying the rhythm.

An hour later, the band took a break. They were covered in sweat, but happy that their practice went so well. They were all chattering and drinking water when Jackson and Emmett came into the garage.

"Hey, how'd your practice go?" Jackson asked them.

"Pretty good, Dad." Jasper told him. "I think we're ready for tomorrow."

"I don't doubt that, Jas. You guys were so great at the party. I don't think you've gotten worse since then, huh?" He laughed and clapped Jasper on the back. "Well, we should start packing the van tonight so we can get going at a decent time tomorrow. I know you don't go on until 4:00, but it's a good hour drive and you'll want to enjoy the fair some. How about we leave at 10:00?" He looked around as they all nodded. "Great! Okay, Esme is going to order some pizza in about a half an hour. Why don't you guys pack up your stuff and pile it by the big door and then we'll go eat and relax until tomorrow. Sound good?"

They all nodded again and Emmett grinned. "We are gonna' have a great time at the fair. I cannot wait!"

"It's just a county fair, Em. It's not gonna' be that big." Edward told him.

"I know, man, but it's a fair! They got food, music, rides, games... and next weekend, we go to Wilmot! They've got the races and a demolition derby. They might even have a tractor pull. Sweet, huh?"

"Yeah!" Brent shouted enthusiastically. "That does sound sweet! I can't wait."

"Brent, have you ever been to a county fair?" Jackson asked him.

Brent shook his head. "Not like that. They don't really have stuff like that in Arizona."

"Well, you'll love it, then." predicted Alice. "There is so much to take in... especially the state fair in August."

"I've never been, either." Bella told them, "It sounds really fun."

"Don't forget, we've got the baseball game coming up, too." Jasper reminded them. "Thanks to Ali and Brent, we get to see the Brewers way up close!"

"Man! This is the best summer ever!" Emmett shouted, punching his fist in the air. Everyone laughed as they agreed. "Hey!" Emmett exclaimed, seeing Brent's T-shirt. "Where'd you get the cool shirt, man?"

Brent pointed at Alice. "Ali got 'em for us."

"Short Stuff! My fave baby sis! Did you get your awesomest big brother one?" he walked over where she was sitting on the workbench.

Alice lifted her legs so her feet were on the top of the workbench. "In the cabinet right under here." she said, pointing down.

"No way!" Emmett whooped and bent down to get the shirts out of the cabinet. "Which one is mine?" he asked her. She held out her hand and he gave her the bag of shirts. She pulled out the biggest one and handed it to him. He immediately tore off his shirt and put on the new one. "Hell yeah. I'm part of the band now. Uh-huh... that's right." He strutted around and everyone shook their heads, rolled their eyes and laughed at their own personal goofball.

"Here's yours, Mr. Jackson." Ali told him, handing a shirt to Jasper's dad. "I hope it's the right size."

He looked at the label and nodded. "Perfect. Thanks, Angel. These are great." He grinned at her and then reminded everyone to pack up and come over to the Cullen's house to eat.

Alice watched from her perch on the workbench as the band packed away their equipment and instruments. When everything was piled by the door, Jasper pushed the button to close it and came over by Ali.

"Ready to go eat, Ali?" he asked her. When she nodded happily, he reached out and picked her up off the workbench. She let out a squeak of surprise and clung to him for a second. He laughed, flung her over his shoulder and ran out the back door and across the yard with her. She was giggling helplessly when he finally set her down by her back door. Edward, Brent and Bella came walking up and laughed as Alice's giggles affected them.

"Alice, you are just too portable for your own good." Brent told her, grinning, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"What does that mean, Brat... I mean, Brent?" Alice teased him, grinning.

"Well, with a big boyfriend like Jas, here, all he has to do is pick you up and take you where ever he wants. You need a little guy as a boyfriend so you have a fighting chance." He laughed, but Jasper glared at him.

"Alice doesn't need anyone else. I don't make her go anywhere she doesn't want to." Jasper snapped, fisting his hands.

"Jas, I'm just teasing Ali. You know I always tease her about her size, man." Brent tried to appease Jasper. "What the hell is his problem any way?" He thought, "it was obvious to everyone that Alice was crazy about him."

"Yeah, I know... sorry, Brent." Jasper ran his hand through his hair, looking remorseful.

"Yeah, Jas. Geeze, over-react much?" added Edward, shaking his head at him.

Jasper blushed, "Let's just go eat, okay?" he said, opening the door and ushering Alice inside.

Brent, Bella and Edward exchanged a questioning look. They didn't know what had exactly happened between Jasper and Ali on the fourth of July, but Jasper had been pretty prickly ever since. Edward shrugged and held the door open for Bella and Brent. The summer should be an interesting one any way.

* * *

Everyone had dug into the pizza like they hadn't eaten in days and Esme had been glad she had ordered extra. After cleaning up, they all decided to get ready for bed and watch a movie. Between the two houses, it didn't take long for all seven kids to be ready. After everyone was showered and changed, they all gathered in the Hale's family room for the movie. Emmett was campaigning for the new vampire movie he had rented so, despite Jasper's protests, they popped it in and Jasper cuddled Alice close to his side.

"Sorry, Ali. We don't have to watch it, if you don't want to." He stroked her back as she rested against him.

"No, it's okay." she said. "It gives me an excuse to snuggle with you." she dimpled up at him and he tightened his arm around her.

The movie was terrifying and Alice hid her face more than a few times. She tried to tell herself that it was just a movie, but her brain just didn't register that fact very well.

Jasper suggested that they watch a funny movie when the first one was over since it was still early. He hoped the funny one would distract Alice from the scary one. She laughed and giggled through the funny one and he smiled down at her when she finally fell asleep against his chest.

Rose looked over at her brother and he grinned at her. She smiled back, loving the fact that he was so happy. She also loved the fact that he was so protective of Ali. She was sure they would work their problems out once they got older. She sighed happily as Emmett cuddled her to his side. She glanced up at him and he gave her a worried look and nodded in Jasper's direction. She smiled reassuringly at him and he looked over at his best friend and baby sister again. He hoped that he wasn't making a mistake by leaving things the way they were.

The movie was finally over and Jackson shooed everyone to bed. Emmett lifted Alice off the couch and carried her next door, Jasper right next to him. "Jas, I'm not gonna' drop her or spirit her away. Geeze." Emmett grunted.

"I know, Em. I'm sleeping in my bed at your place tonight so Bella can have my room." Jasper told him.

"Okay, just make sure you stay there, Jas. I don't wanna' have to leave you bruised for the show tomorrow." Emmett taunted.

"Shut up, Em." Jasper shot back and Emmett cracked up. Edward and Brent caught up to them and they both laughed at Ali's limp form.

"How the hell can she sleep through you two yapping at each other?" Brent wondered, and all four of them shook their heads, laughing.

"Wouldn't it be great to be able to sleep like that?" Emmett asked them all.

Esme met them at the front door, "I'm glad we had you all get ready for bed before the movies. I figured she'd pass out." Esme said giving Ali a kiss on the forehead. She gave each of the boys a kiss and hug and told them to sleep good, and they all went up to bed.

Emmett laid Alice on her bed after Jasper pulled back her covers, and then he stepped back to allow Jasper to tuck her in. Jasper gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped away from the bed.

"I mean it, Jas. Stay outta' here tonight." Emmett said in a threatening voice.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Give me a break, Emmett. Geeze! I'm not gonna' ravish your baby sister in the middle of the night. You've gone off the deep end."

Emmett glared at him. "Just sayin'... "

Jasper punched him in the stomach as he walked by to leave Ali's room. "Shut up, Ass."

Emmett just growled as he followed him out of the room.

Esme crept into her daughter's room, assuring herself that she was sleeping peacefully. She smiled lovingly down at her little sleeping angel and smoothed her hair out of her face. She was growing up way too fast and Esme missed the times when it was just her and Alice in the middle of the night when she was a baby. "Where did the time go?" she wondered.

Esme sighed and walked out of the room. She left the door open a crack and went to check on her boys. Edward's room was filled with the deep breathing of the two teenage boys asleep there. She gazed at the handsome young men dreaming in the beds. Edward was on his side and she lovingly swept the hair off his face. He sighed and rolled onto his back. She turned to Jasper sleeping in the other bed. She paused for a second, caught off guard at just how good-looking he was. She was so glad he was unaffected by his looks and was just 'Jas'. She smiled down affectionately at her 'third son' and covered up his feet where he had kicked off the blanket.

She went into Emmett's room and had to suppress a giggle. Emmett was on his stomach with his butt up in the air, his mouth wide open and his arm hanging off the bed. Emmett did everything in a big way and she couldn't love him more. She shook her head in amusement and glanced at Brent in the other bed. Even though they had only known Brent for a short while, she was very fond of him and appreciated what a wonderful friend he was to Ali, as well as the boys. She smiled contently at the two boys and closed the door.

Esme frowned as she walked into her empty bedroom. She had to talk to Carlisle again about opening up a private practice. She was lonely and it had been many years passed what he and Jackson had planned for opening up an office. She crawled into her lonely bed and turned out the light.

* * *

Alice woke up to someone touching her arm. She looked up with a gasp to see a shadow next to her bed.

"It's just me, Ali." Jasper said, placing his finger over her lips.

"Jasper... " she breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"I need you, Ali. Now. Tonight." He groaned, pulling the covers off of her and bending down to capture her lips with his own. She tangled her fingers in the long hair covering his neck and he slowly began undoing the buttons down the front of her nightgown. She moaned as he cupped her breasts and lay down next to her on her bed. She could feel his hardness against her leg and a shiver ran through her.

He devoured her mouth, rubbing his hardness against her and fondling her breasts until she was whimpering with desire. She felt as though the bed was tilting and she clung to Jasper's hair and shoulders for purchase. He lifted her nightgown up to her waist and drew back to look into her eyes. Suddenly, her eyes widened in fear and she tried to scream. Jasper's eyes were black and he opened his mouth to reveal two huge, gleaming fangs. He sank his fangs into her neck and she screamed long and shrill, thrashing to free herself from his hold. The pain was horrendous and she knew he was killing her.

Alice woke up with a start, panting and covered in sweat. She screamed when she saw the figure above her and scurried back to crouch in the corner where the wall met her bed. She crouched there trembling with her long hair covering her face, until the soft, gentle voice finally broke through the fog in her brain. She collapsed with a sob against the strong chest of her love.

Jasper stroked her hair out of her face and cuddled her soft, trembling body to his strong, hard one. "Damn Emmett and his frickin' vampire movie." he thought.

Jasper looked up as Emmett burst through the door, "God damn it, Jasper. I told you to stay out of Ali's room. I caught you red-handed." He made to grab Jasper, but he noticed Ali sobbing and trembling. His face fell, "Oh. Nightmare?" he looked sheepishly at Jasper.

"Ya' think?" Jasper asked, sarcastically. "Why do you always have to pick the scariest damn movie available?"

"Well, she doesn't have to watch them." Emmett defended himself.

"Oh yeah, everyone else is, you think she's gonna' go off by herself?" Jasper scoffed.

Alice looked up at them. "I'm right here. I can hear you. It was just a nightmare, you guys. I'm fine." She looked at Jasper. "I'm sorry I woke you."

He cupped her face in his hands, "It's okay, sweetheart. I don't mind."

Alice smiled at him and looked over at Emmett. "Sorry, Em, but thanks for protecting me."

He grinned, "Any time, Ali Oop. You know I love you, baby sis."

"I love you, too, Em." She looked thoughtful for a second, "Would it be okay if Jasper stayed with me for a little while? Nothing will happen, I promise."

Emmett looked at Jasper, then back at Alice. "Okay, I'm trusting you, Jas."

Jasper rolled his eyes and Alice smacked him on the chest. "Be nice, Jasper. Thanks, Em. See you in the morning."

Emmett gave her a kiss on the cheek, pointed at Jasper and walked out.

Jasper looked at Alice and they both giggled softly. "He's just trying to be a good brother, Jas."

"I know, but he acts like I'm a frickin' serial killer, or something. Geeze... " He smiled at Alice when she giggled again.

"Would you mind staying with me for a little bit, Jas?" Alice asked him. He shook his head and she scooted over and patted the bed next to her. Jasper looked at the bed for a second and then gingerly lay down.

Alice giggled again. "Jas... it's okay. You're not going to attack me, are you?" He shook his head, and she snuggled against his side.

"Do you want to talk about your dream, Ali?" Jasper asked her gently, when they were both relaxed.

"No. It was a really bad one, though." She grabbed onto Jasper's T-shirt remembering the terror she'd felt.

"I'm sorry. Try to sleep now. We're going to have a long day tomorrow." Jasper soothed her.

She sat up and looked at him in horror. "Jas! You need to get some sleep. You're the one who needs to be rested. I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, Ali. I'm very content right where I am." She snuggled back into him and they both fell asleep, his nose buried in her hair.

Jackson walked through the open door into Alice's room. There, snuggled together on her bed were the two young lovebirds. Jackson sighed. He and Carlisle had talked a few times about their closeness becoming a problem. He hoped they were both wrong. They had all thought it was cute how Jasper protected Ali until they had seen them kiss each other at the ball game. Now, their closeness held a threat to it and none of them knew how to handle it.

Jackson regretted, for the millionth time, his teasing of the two of them about being together when they were younger. He felt that it may be his fault that they got together so young. He approached the bed and gently shook Jasper awake. When he looked up at him, he said, "Hey son, it's time to get ready to head out for Whitewater." He watched as Jasper nodded, still groggy, and looked down at Ali. He got a soft smile on his face and looked back up at his dad. They were so friggin' cute together, Jackson thought. He just prayed every night that they would be okay.

Jackson gave Alice a gentle shake, "Ali? Ali, sweetheart, it's time to wake up." She didn't move. "Ali Angel... wake up, sweetie." Nothing, not even a sigh. Jackson ran his hand through his hair and looked at Jasper.

He bent over Alice, "Ali? Darlin', it's time to wake up. We have to go to Whitewater today."

Jackson looked on in awe as Alice's eyes opened and she looked confused until she focused on Jasper. Her face softened into an adoring smile. "Hi." she said softly.

"Hi." he answered her, "We have to leave soon for Whitewater."

Alice sat up and noticed Jackson. Her eyes widened and she turned red, stuttering, "Mr. J... Jackson... I... I had a... a... nightmare... " She looked at Jasper helplessly.

"It's okay, Ali. Dad was just waking us up so we can get going." Jasper told her.

Jackson nodded. "I shouldn't have let Emmett play that movie last night, Ali. Sorry, sweetheart." He smiled reassuringly, "Your mom is making a bunch of pancakes, so get ready now, while I run back next door and make sure Bella and Rose are up."

"Okay, Dad." Jasper got off the bed as Jackson left the room. "You alright now, Ali?" he asked.

Alice smiled and nodded. "Thank you for staying with me, Jas." she said shyly, gazing up at him through her lashes.

He grinned. "It was my pleasure, darlin', believe me."

She blushed and he walked jauntily out of her room.

When Alice came down the stairs and into the kitchen, the boys were all eating at the table, including Jackson. "Where's Bella and Rose?" Ali asked after greeting everyone.

"They're still getting ready, Ali. They'll be here soon." Jackson told her, stuffing some more pancake in his mouth.

Esme looked over at Alice. "Good morning, Angel. Want some pancakes?" she asked.

Alice went over and hugged her mom, "Yes, please."

Esme put a couple pancakes on a plate. "I heard you had a really bad nightmare last night." she said as she handed Alice the plate. Ali's eyes went blank and she shuddered remembering the horrible dream from the night before. She glanced uneasily at Jasper who looked at her with a puzzled frown.

"It was probably the worst one I've ever had." She whispered to her mom.

"Oh, honey. I am so sorry. Maybe you should see that therapist again, after all." Esme smoothed her hair lovingly. "He told your dad that he might be able to help you with the nightmares, as well as getting your memory back."

Alice shook her head. "No. I don't want to." she stated. "I don't need to, Mom, I don't."

"Okay, Ali. Okay. We'll talk about it later. Eat your pancakes so you can get going." Esme exchanged a worried look with Jackson. He had come downstairs and told Esme about Ali's nightmare and her hair being all tangled and her face tear streaked. He also told her about finding Jasper in her bed and how he had taken care of her. Esme wasn't surprised, but Jackson had been awed that they were still that way. He had marveled at Jasper's way with Ali when they were little, but he hadn't any idea that it was still that way between them.

The boys finished loading the van while the girls ate their breakfast, then they piled into the vehicles for the long trip to Whitewater. Jackson drove the van with Jasper, Edward and Brent, and Emmett drove his mom's SUV with Rose, Bella and Alice.

Jasper was angry that he wasn't riding with Alice, and he'd swear that Emmett had contrived it, but they started talking about the upcoming concert and the time passed quickly.

The girls giggled and laughed the whole way and Emmett regretted the way he'd manipulated the seating outcome, but it was too late to do anything about it now, and it took forever to get to Whitewater.

Both cars pulled into the fair parking lot and Alice handed Emmett the paper that allowed them to park inside the grounds to unload their stuff. They were directed to the concert area and parked behind the stage set-up. It was barely noon and they had three hours before they had to unpack their equipment.

"Well," Jackson observed. "I guess we should enjoy the fair for a couple hours. How about we get something to eat, huh?"

The kids all nodded and Jasper grabbed Ali's hand before they had taken one step. She looked up, surprised, and smiled at him. Edward and Brent exchanged a look and wondered what Jasper was so worried about.

They found the food court area and Jackson had them all order what they wanted. Jasper asked Ali what she wanted, ordered for her and carried their food over to the picnic tables set up for eating. Ali started to sit down at the end of the bench and Jasper urged her to move over and sat down next to her, making sure she wasn't on the end. By this time, Edward and Brent were really baffled by his behavior and vowed to find out what was going on with him.

After they ate, the boys pulled Jasper aside. "Hey, Jas. What's going on with you?" Brent asked.

"What do you mean?" Jasper said.

"You're hovering over Alice like you're afraid someone's going to steal her." Edward commented.

"Well there are a lot of weirdos at these things and I don't want her to get separated from us." Jasper stated, never taking his eyes off of Alice.

Edward and Brent looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "That makes sense, she is pretty small." Brent conceded. He shrugged at Edward and Edward shrugged back. They walked back over by the girls and Jasper grabbed Alice's hand right away.

They walked around taking in the sights and played a few games. Emmett dominated the baseball throw and won Rose a huge teddy bear. He challenged Jasper to a turn and Jasper won Alice a stuffed kitten. She squealed and hugged Jasper like he had just given her a diamond ring. Edward and Brent just smirked at each other.

It was finally time to set up for their concert and they made their way back to the cars. On their way back, people were noticing their shirts and a few came up to them to ask them about their band and what kind of music they played. Most everyone who talked to them promised they would be at the concert, and there wasn't much time to spare when they reached the cars. It took them a half an hour to get everything ready and they decided to warm up quickly.

Jasper led Alice over to one of the chairs set up off stage.

"Alice, please sit here while we play, okay? Don't go anywhere without me." Jasper told her and Alice looked at him with a puzzled brow.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jasper. What's wrong with you?" Alice wanted to know.

"I just don't want you to get lost, Ali." Jasper told her.

Alice frowned at him. She hated when he treated her like she was a little kid.

"Ali, please, just humor me, okay?" Jasper pleaded. "I won't be able to concentrate if I'm worrying about you."

Alice was frowning, but she nodded. "Okay, Jas. Just have a good concert. I'll sit right here."

He gave her a bright smile and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, Ali."

She sighed as he walked over to the band with a spring in his step. She had no idea why he was being so protective, but she figured it wouldn't kill her to sit where he could see her.

The concert went without a hitch and the band played better than they ever had. They played mostly original songs, too, and the crowd that gathered to watch them swelled until it was standing room only. Everyone was really happy with the way it went and had a good time. Everyone except Alice, that is. She stayed where Jasper asked her to and wasn't able to dance or be with Jackson, Rose and Emmett.

After the concert, a group of girls hung around while the boys and Bella packed up their stuff and loaded it into the cars. When they were done, the girls approached them and were giggling and flirting. Edward, Brent and Jasper were flattered, but were more embarrassed than anything. One of the girls, a blonde with a large chest and skimpy clothes, put her hand on Jasper's chest and asked him for his autograph. Jasper looked shocked, but signed his name on the paper she handed him.

He handed the paper back to her. "I have a feeling that you guys will be famous one day, Jasper, and this will be worth a lot." the girl told him, running her hand down toward his belt and looking up at him through her lashes. Jasper blushed and thanked her, while politely pushing her hand away from his body.

Alice seethed from where she was watching. This day had turned out to be a really bad day. Rose put her arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, Ali. There are always skanks around. Jasper is totally not interested in that girl."

Alice nodded and turned to get into the SUV, feeling depressed. She could never compete with girls like that. She looked back over her shoulder when she felt Rose touch her back, but saw that it was Jasper, instead. Grinning at her, he asked if she minded if he rode home with her. She gave him a big smile and decided it wasn't such a bad day, after all, as he snuggled her into his side.


	46. A Very Bad Day

46.

A Very Bad Day

The next week flew by. Jasper was always busy with baseball or band practice, and Alice hadn't really seen him all week. She was looking forward to the concert at the Wilmot County fair that weekend, hoping they could spend some time together.

NoiZe had been scheduled to play in the afternoon and, since Wilmot was relatively close to home, the kids were going to stay afterward and enjoy the fair. Rosalie had driven her car and Emmett had driven Esme's SUV, so, Carlisle, who was off for the weekend, decided he would take the van and head home right after the concert, leaving Emmett and Rose in charge.

The Wilmot fairgrounds shared space with the speedway, which held races most every weekend through the summer. The boys were especially excited because they were not only having races that night, they were holding a demolition derby, too. Drivers painted old cars and installed roll bars in them and then ran into each other. The last car running, was the winner. Rose thought this was the stupidest thing she had ever heard of, but the boys couldn't wait.

Jasper wasn't being as protective of Alice as he had been the weekend before, in fact, he seemed really preoccupied, so she got to watch the concert from out front with the rest of their family and Jessica. She, Jessica and Rose had danced to the music and had a great time. After the concert, there had been a bunch of girl fans hanging around again, but the boys just smiled at them and started packing their stuff away. When they were finished, the girls made their way over to the band and flirted with them, a few even asking about their shirts and for autographs.

Bella walked over by Jessica and Alice, since none of the girls appeared to want to talk to her, and Edward kept looking at her like he couldn't wait to get away. Brent and Jasper were eating up the attention, however, and posed happily when some of the girls asked to take pictures with them. Jessica pouted a little at this, but grinned when Brent looked over at her and winked. Alice stood by patiently, waiting for Jasper, even after Brent and Edward had finally claimed their girlfriends' hands and gone off to enjoy the fair, but Jasper continued talking with two of the girls.

Alice studied them. They were both taller than her and had cute figures, probably about fifteen or sixteen, with modern hairstyles, make-up and sexy outfits. Alice felt insignificant and unattractive with her small body, long braid, and shorts and T-shirt, and she thought Jasper and either one of them, would make a super handsome couple.

The three of them were laughing and talking, and Alice wondered if Jasper even remembered that she was there. He finally looked her way, and the two girls he was talking to, looked at her, too, and then one of them laughed. Alice wasn't sure what was said, but her insecurity kicked in, and she just wanted to go find Emmett and Rose.

After waiting a few more minutes, Alice started thinking about going off by herself to find her brother, but, just when she had decided to walk away, two boys came up to her. They were both about Brent's height, just shy of six feet, and one had dark hair and green eyes and the other had dark hair and brown eyes,

"Hey, are you with the band?" the green-eyed one asked Alice.

"Uh... kinda', I set up the concerts and do their art work." Alice told them.

"I'm Rob, and this is Curt." Rob, the green-eyed boy said.

"I'm Alice." Alice introduced herself.

"Did you make your shirt?" Curt asked, looking down at her shirt.

Alice nodded, "It's really cool." he remarked. "Do you guys sell them?"

Alice shook her head. "No, I didn't even think about anyone wanting one... "

Just then, Alice heard a shout, "Alice!" And looked over to see Jasper striding over with an angry look on his face, the two girls reluctantly walking away.

"Oh no." She thought. "What did I do?" She chewed on her lip and twisted her fingers.

Jasper grabbed her hand. "Come on." he ground out and pulled her along behind him as she looked apologetically at the two boys.

She stumbled along worrying her lip, wondering why he was so mad at her.

Jasper finally slowed down and glanced behind him to see Ali trying to catch her breath. She never complained once, but he could see that she was worried. She glanced up at him looking miserable, and he ducked his head. "Why was he always such an ass where Ali was concerned?"

"Uh... you hungry?" he asked her. She shook her head. "You wanna' go on a ride?" She shook her head again. He ran his hand through his hair and, feeling irritated, he snapped, "Well, what the hell do you wanna' do then?"

She looked up at him with big, unhappy eyes. "I want to go find Emmett." she whispered.

"Ali... " He sighed. "Come on." He started walking, slower this time, still holding her hand, and she had no choice but to go with him.

Jasper persuaded Alice to go on a few rides with him, then he won her a ring with a smiley face on it and bought her a huge waffle cone sundae. Jasper was being his usual charming self and Alice laughed when he handed her the enormous treat. She asked the man at the counter for another spoon and they sat next to each other at a picnic table to share it. After a few minutes, Jasper pulled Ali up on his lap and she giggled and fed him a spoonful of ice cream and hot fudge. Then she took a bite herself and she saw Jasper's eyes darken as he watched her lick her lips. She felt a thrill run through her and smiled as she fed him another bite. He stuck his spoon in the sundae and fed her a huge bite, before she could lick off the excess, he put his lips to hers and licked the sweetness off. Her eyes flew to his in surprise and his eyes burned into hers with a strange ferocious fire. All of a sudden, she felt uneasy and, not wanting any more ice cream, she started to slide off his lap.

Jasper stopped her and grumbled, "Damn it! Wait a minute." as he adjusted a little on the seat. She blushed, feeling his hardness beneath her bottom, and held perfectly still until he lifted her down onto the seat next to him. She felt him watching her as she sat there looking down at the tabletop. She didn't know why, but he was acting really mean today.

"What's her problem?" he thought, frowning. He was the one with the stiffy and no way of getting rid of it. Both of the girls from the concert had hinted that they would be more than happy to help him with his problem, and he was getting tired of the scared little girl act all the time.

"Let's go find the others. It's almost time for the derby." Jasper said in a tight voice after a couple minutes.

She nodded as they stood up and he reached his hand down to her. She took his hand and let him lead her back into the throngs of fairgoers.

Alice and Jasper wandered around the fair looking for the rest of their group. Alice kept her eyes on the ground, which just pissed Jasper off even more. Charming Jasper was officially gone and he was barely hanging on to his patience. After a half hour of no luck, Jasper's frustration had reached its peak and he pulled out his phone to call Edward. "Where the hell are you guys, Ed? I've looked everywhere."

Jasper listened, told Edward goodbye and closed his phone. "They're over by the Ferris wheel." He told Alice, moving in that direction. "They're going to wait for us, but we have to hurry so we don't miss the beginning of the demolition derby."

He started striding toward the Ferris wheel, Alice trying to keep up. He looked back and noticed her distress. He tended to forget sometimes how much bigger than her, he was. The top of her head barely came up to his collarbone and he appeared to still be growing.

She flashed him a grateful smile as he slowed his stride to match hers, but his face still showed his frustration. They got to the Ferris wheel and found Edward, Bella, Brent and Jessica waiting for them.

"Sorry it took us so long." Jasper told them when he and Alice walked up to them. He looked over at Alice when he said it, and she frowned and looked down at the ground again. Edward said that they were going to meet Emmett and Rose at the racetrack, so they all started in that direction.

Everyone was anxious to get there, as the derby started in less than ten minutes, and Jasper shot Alice another look of irritation at her slow pace. Alice struggled to keep up, but could just not make her legs go any faster. She finally let go of Jasper's hand and slowed down to catch her breath. She looked up and wrapped her arms around her middle, Jasper and the others were gone. She picked up her pace again and jogged in the direction they were going, but she didn't see them anywhere. She knew they were heading for the racetrack, so she kept going that way, hoping she'd catch up when they stopped to meet Emmett and Rose.

Alice reached the entrance to the racetrack and didn't see her group any where.

"Great," she thought, "forgotten again."

She shook her head and looked around, trying to figure out what she should do. She didn't have her phone with her as there weren't any pockets in her shorts, and her dad had left for home a long time ago.

Alice let out a sigh and climbed up to sit on a tall concrete light post base just outside the entrance to watch for any of her family. She knew that one of them would miss her eventually, so she leaned back against the post, her feet dangling off the ground. Alice was feeling discouraged when she sensed someone standing next to her. She looked up, expecting to see Jasper, but it was a guy she didn't know.

"Hey, I saw you at the concert this afternoon. I recognize your shirt. They were really good." he enthused.

"Thank you." she said, unsure of what else to say. "Um... I'm glad you liked them."

He grinned and moved a little closer to her. "So, where can I get a shirt like that?" he asked.

"Oh, well... we don't sell them. We only have them for the band and our family." she told him.

"Are you their sister, or something?" he asked.

"I'm the keyboard player's sister, yeah." Alice confirmed. "The other members are my friends."

"I bet you have a lot of friends, huh?" he grinned at her, his eyes sparkling. She smiled and noticed that he had kind, dark brown eyes and a nice smile.

"Well, not a lot... " she was a little puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"I'd think a lot of people would want to be friends with a pretty girl like you." he flattered her, moving even closer.

Alice blushed and looked down at her hands in her lap. He was hitting on her. She should've known. She thought he was genuinely interested in the band and he was just hitting on her. Didn't guys ever think of anything else?

She sighed and looked back up at him. "Thank you, I have some good friends, yes, in fact, they should be back pretty soon." She gave him a little smile. "I told them I'd wait here for them so we can watch the demolition derby together."

She told a little lie, but she just wasn't in the mood to do this right now.

He reached out and touched her hand, "My name is David. Do you think your friends would mind if I watched the derby with you?" He gave her a flirty smile and, though he was really nice and she didn't want to hurt his feelings, her answer came out a little curt.

"Sorry, but I'm here with my boyfriend, as well as my friends and my brothers." she tried to soften her reply. "Thank you, anyway, though."

He frowned at her. "If you're here with so many people, why are you sitting here alone?" he questioned, then he offered, "Do you need help finding them? I'll help you, if you want."

Alice shook her head, "No, thanks. They're coming back for me in a minute. I told them I'd stay right here." He looked like he didn't believe her, but he smiled and bade her a good night. She watched him walk away and was suddenly jerked by her hand from her seat. She managed to barely land on her feet and looked up into Jasper's furious eyes.

"Damn it, Alice! What the hell are you doing?" he growled, "Who was that guy? You look at me like I'm gonna' bite you half the time, but you flirt with all these other guys. Nice, Alice." He started dragging her toward the track entrance, then he stopped and snapped, "Can't you frickin' keep up for one minute?"

He glared at her for a second and then continued to pull her through the crowd. She gulped and her eyes filled with tears. "Come on! You're gonna' make me miss the entire thing." he grumbled when they reached the stands. He lifted her onto the bleachers and urged her up, but the benches were too far apart for her small legs to climb easily and she heard him curse behind her.

"Geeze-us!" He picked her up with both hands on her waist and carried her in front of him like she was a child. By the time they reached the others, she was embarrassed, humiliated and full of loathing for the boy who was manhandling her.

Jasper set her on the bench in front of everyone and said, "I found her flirting with some guy." and then he went and sat down next to Edward. She just stood there for a second, and then climbed down to sit next to Emmett. She huddled into his side and tried not to cry. She hated Jasper Hale at that moment, with every beat of her heart.

* * *

They had been half way to their seats, minutes away from the start of the derby, when Rosalie had noticed that Alice wasn't with them.

"Jasper, where's Ali?" she asked him.

Jasper looked around behind him and made a huffing noise. "I don't know. She was right behind me a minute ago."

"Well, go find her, Jas." Emmett told him, pushing him towards where they came from.

Jasper pushed him back "Why do I have to go? I've been waiting all day to see the derby." Rosalie gave him a disapproving look and he rolled his eyes and made another huffing noise. He walked back towards the entrance, looking for Alice.

"God damn it, where the hell is she?" he thought. "If I miss the derby, I'm gonna' be pissed." He looked all around, but didn't see her anywhere. "I could be having a good time with my friends, but instead... I'm running around looking for Alice."

Then, he spotted her sitting on a streetlight base talking to another guy. "Fuck! I'm gonna' miss the derby and she's out here flirting with some guy."

He saw the guy walk away as he approached and was too pissed to say anything. He grabbed her hand and pulled her off of her perch.

She stumbled, looking at him with startled eyes and he growled at her, "Damn it, Alice! What the hell are you doing? Who was that guy?" She hadn't looked scared of the guy at all and she was out here all by herself. "You look at me like I'm gonna' bite you half the time, but you flirt with all these other guys. Nice, Alice." and he started dragging her toward the track entrance. He felt her holding him back and he stopped and snapped, "Can't you frickin' keep up for one minute?" He swore to God she did it on purpose.

At her forlorn expression, he glared at her and continued walking. She always acted so innocent and scared, and relied on all of them to watch out for her. Couldn't she take care of herself for one frickin' second? He was getting tired of having to babysit her when all he wanted to do was have a good time. She was always flirting with other guys, too, but she wouldn't even let him touch her. He was a frickin' teenage boy, for crying out loud, he had needs, too.

They reached the stands below where everyone was sitting and Jasper lifted Alice up onto the bleachers to try and hurry her along a little.

"Come on! You're gonna' make me miss the entire thing." he grumbled and tried to get her to go faster, but the benches were too far apart for her to climb quickly and he cursed. He just wanted to watch the damn demolition derby with his friends. Was that too much to ask?

"Geeze-us!" He was out of patience and grabbed her around the waist to carry her the rest of the way. When they finally reached the others, he set her down on the bench in front of everyone and said, "I found her flirting with some guy." and went to sit down next to Edward. "Did I miss anything?" he asked him and settled in, eager to watch when Edward shook his head.

* * *

Rosalie glared at Jasper and then looked at Ali with sympathy. Alice gave her a weak smile, fighting back tears, and then turned her face away. Emmett put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze, and then turned back to watch the cars ramming into each other.

The demolition derby went on forever. Cars were smoking and crumpled up like ruffled potato chips, but some of them just kept on going. Alice could feel herself losing control as the boys cheered and urged the drivers on, and Bella and Jessica giggled. She was way passed ready to go home.

She sat on the bench with her legs drawn up against her chest, her arms around them and her chin on her knees. Her eyes were burning with unshed tears and she felt like she was choking. She needed to get out of here, even just for a minute.

Alice tapped Emmett on the arm. "Emmett? Can I have some money, please? I need to get a drink."

Emmett looked down at her, still distracted by the action on the track. "Sure, Ali." He got out his wallet and handed her ten dollars. "Come straight back, okay?" he added as an afterthought.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Yes, Emmett." She stood up and walked along the bench they had been sitting on until she reached the walkway going down. It was much easier for her to get down to the ground that way and she made her way over to the concession stand. She really wasn't that thirsty but the walking made her feel a little better. She got in line behind a few other people and shuffled her feet back and forth. She would be so happy to get home.

She reached the counter and ordered a cola, handing the lady the ten dollar bill. "Here's your change, honey. Are you here all by yourself? You should come down here with a grown-up next time. It's not really safe for a little girl down here alone." The lady admonished her.

"Thank you for your advice, but I am thirteen and I'm here with my friends." Alice answered, fed up with everyone treating her like a baby.

"Oh, well, just be careful, honey, okay?" The lady told her and Alice smiled and took her drink.

"What a terrible day." Alice griped to herself, wondering if the derby was over, yet. She sipped her cola as she walked over by the fence to see how many cars were still going. She peered through the metal cyclone fence and saw three cars still duking it out. She sagged against the fence and groaned. Would it ever end? She couldn't hold on much longer.

She felt a touch on her shoulder. "Now what?" she thought as she turned around. She looked up into the guilty face of the boy she had thought she loved.

"What do you want, Jasper?" she asked in an even voice. "I'm perfectly capable of finding my seat by myself. I don't need you to come looking for me."

He ran his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Ali." he apologized.

"You always are." she snapped.

She saw him wince and added, "Thank you for apologizing." and she turned back to look through the fence again. She sipped her cola trying to appear nonchalant, but she was totally aware of him still standing behind her.

* * *

Jasper had sighed as he'd spotted Alice going down the steps of the bleachers to the ground by herself. He knew he'd treated her bad, but for some reason, he'd been frustrated and irritable all day, and he'd just wanted to relax and have some fun.

When the girls from the concert had asked him if he wanted to hang out, he'd been a little put out that he couldn't because Alice was waiting for him. One of the girls had thought he was kidding when he told her that Alice was his girlfriend. She said she looked like a little girl and he had defended her, but next to those girls, Alice did look like a little girl. She acted like a little girl next to them, too, but, when the girls had hinted that he'd have a really good time if he'd come with them, he'd declined.

He'd just told them goodbye and was turning to go over by Alice when he saw her flirting with two guys. Here he'd given up an afternoon of who-knows-what kind of fun with two hot girls, and she was flirting with other guys. He'd resented her right then and had been kind of mean to her. He'd tried to make it up to her by spoiling her at the fair, but then she'd freaked out while they were eating their ice cream and he just kind of lost it.

He'd dragged her around the fair looking for their friends, and he'd been so relieved when they'd found them. He'd gotten all caught up in the excitement of seeing the demolition derby and hadn't even noticed that Alice wasn't behind him. Then he'd treated her like shit when Rose and Emmett made him go find her, so he didn't really blame her for not wanting to talk to him. He also knew that she wasn't seeking out guys to flirt with, but he got so jealous when guys hit on her. She was too insecure to believe that's what they were doing, and she was always way too nice to them, unknowingly, leading them on.

He'd been such a dick and, though the demolition derby was cool, was it more important than Alice? He got up to follow her and Rosalie reached out her hand to stop him.

"Jasper..." Rose had said, but Jasper had just shrugged her hand off and gone after Alice. He saw her standing by the fence with a drink in her hand and went over to talk to her. She had made it clear that she didn't want to talk to him, but he wasn't going to leave her alone down here.

* * *

The derby was down to two cars now and she decided to go back up by Emmett. She walked back over to the walkway going up and started to climb. She knew Jasper was following her, but she just didn't care. She sat down next to Emmett, offered him the cola and handed him his change. He took a drink and looked over at Jasper who sat down next to Alice. He frowned at Jasper and looked back out at the derby as he put his money away. Rose looked around him at Jasper, too, but she turned back quickly and didn't say anything, either.

Finally, one of the last two cars petered out and the derby was over. Everyone was cheering and the driver of the last car was waving out his window. He was brought up to the winner's stand and presented with a trophy and a gift certificate, and the announcer thanked everyone for coming.

"That was awesome!" Alice heard Brent exclaim from the other end of the bench. She smiled, glad that he had enjoyed himself. She looked up at Emmett.

"Em, are we leaving now?" she asked him hopefully.

He looked down at her and nodded. "If you want to, Ali." His face showed that he really didn't want to, but he knew she was upset.

She bit her lip. "How long before the fair closes?"

He looked at his watch. "Two more hours."

She looked disappointed. "Oh. Well, we can stay if everyone else wants to."

He turned to talk to Rose and Alice sighed and her shoulders slumped. She just wanted to go home. She played with the smiley face ring on her finger, twisting it and taking it off and on, and wondered if Emmet would let her sit in the car until the rest of them were ready to leave. She figured he wouldn't, but it was worth a try to ask. She saw Jasper bouncing his leg next to her and tapped Emmett on the arm again.

"Emmet, can I please sit in the car until you're ready to go?" Alice asked him. "I'll lock all the doors and just listen to my iPod. Please?" she pleaded.

He shook his head, "Ali... "

"Come on, Emmett." she begged. "No one is even going to know I'm in there. It's dark, the windows are tinted and I'll sit in the back. Please?"

"No, Ali. Mom and Dad would kill me if I let you." Emmett told her. "We'll just go home."

Alice sighed, she knew he would say no, but she had to try. "No, it's okay. We can stay. I'm just a little tired."

Everyone decided that they didn't want to stay for the races, so they started making their way down the stands to the ground. Emmett, feeling bad for Alice, flung her over his shoulder and carried her down.

Alice squealed and giggled. "Emmett Cullen! You big ape! Let me down." He laughed as he set her on the ground. She motioned for him to bend over and she kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, Emmet." she whispered. He grinned and took her hand with one hand and Rose's with the other and led them back out to the fair.

Jasper smiled as Emmett carried Alice down the bleachers over his shoulder and followed them down. Alice was laughing and gave Em a kiss when he put her down. Jasper stood there, feeling a little left out, but then walked along with them when Emmett led Alice and Rose back to the fair by their hands.

Emmett asked if anybody had anything they wanted to do, and Brent suggested going back over by the games. Emmett decided he wanted to win Rosalie a pretty figurine he saw, so he gave Alice some money so she could play some games, too. Alice walked over to the squirt gun game and sat on one of the stools. She was aware of Jasper following her, but figured she'd just ignore him for now. He stood behind her and watched as she shot the water at the target to blow up the balloon.

Alice squealed with delight when she won and the attendant handed her a stuffed ladybug. She got up, grinning and walked over to another game. This one was called 'Whack a Mole'. You used a big wooden mallet to smack the plastic moles on the head when they popped up out of their holes. If you could hit them before they went back down, you scored. The highest score won.

Alice decided to pretend they were Jasper and she hit almost all of them. She giggled when she won and the attendant grinned at her and shouted that she had only missed one. He let her pick her prize, and she decided on a little jewelry box with a glittery design on it.

She walked around looking at the other games and watching people play them and tried to ignore Jasper following behind her. Finally, she couldn't stand it any more. She suddenly turned around to Jasper. "Why are you following me?" she asked him.

His eyes widened in surprise at her sudden question and he hemmed and hawed for a second. "Um... I just... I thought... I wanted to... watch you." he finally stuttered.

"Well, stop it. I don't need a babysitter. Go play with the others and leave me alone." she snapped. He stared at her for a minute looking shocked.

"Sorry." he mumbled and slowly walked over by Edward and Brent.

Alice watched him go, feeling a little guilty. She shook her head as she remembered his treatment of her and steeled herself not to feel bad. She was not going to let anybody treat her badly any more. She straightened her shoulders and continued to walk around looking at the games.

After about twenty minutes, Emmett motioned her over and told her that they were going to go on some rides. She followed them over by the ferris wheel. Everyone paired up, of course, and piled into the little cars. Jasper stood off to the side and Alice sat on a bench right in front and Emmett frowned at her.

"Ali? Couldn't you give Jas a break and ride with him?" he cajoled her.

Alice shook her head. "No, Emmett. I'm tired of people treating me badly."

Emmett cast Jasper a look and saw him staring down at his feet. He felt bad for his best friend, but Ali did have a point, Jas hadn't treated her very well today and she _was_ his baby sister. He sighed, Jas had to learn to treat her better and Alice was right to follow through with it. He nodded and got into the ferris wheel car with Rose. There was nothing he could do but enjoy this time with Rose. Jasper was on his own.

* * *

Jasper had been shocked when Alice had yelled at him. He didn't think she had yelled at him since she was three or four years old. He liked that she was sticking up for herself, but he felt kind of lost without her.

He looked over at her sitting on the bench by herself. She was looking up at their friends on the ferris wheel and waving. He looked up and saw Jessica grinning at Alice and waving. Then he saw Brent grab her and kiss her and he heard Alice laugh. Crap. He should be up there kissing Alice right now.

He didn't know why he had been so mean to her. He had just felt resentment toward her and had blamed her for his crappy day. It had been a really long week and he hadn't gotten to see her but once all week, and then it was only when they had all had dinner together. She hadn't even seemed to miss him, but all he'd thought about was her. Well, about her and what he wanted to do to her.

He ran his hand through his hair again. He needed to get laid. That was all there was to it. Emmett was right. Once he'd known what he was missing, he wanted it all the time. He wasn't getting it from Ali, he knew that, but he didn't want to give her up so some other guy could claim what should be his, either.

He wondered if Savannah was still going out with Tony, but squashed that idea as soon as he thought it. He did not want to date Savannah again. He knew that for certain. Maybe he could persuade Alice that there were other things they could do... naw... she'd just freak out again.

He looked at his phone, they had over an hour yet before the fair closed. He glanced over at Alice again and caught her looking at him. He gave her a tentative smile and she quickly looked away. He sighed and leaned up against the wall behind him. Something caught his eye and he looked at the wall.

"No way!" he thought. It was a haunted house. He, Emmett and Edward loved haunted houses. Better yet, Alice was terrified of haunted houses. When girls were terrified, they tended to cling to boys. He smirked at his idea and patiently waited for the others to get off the ferris wheel.

Emmett was all for going into the haunted house. Edward, Bella and Brent were excited, as well. Rose was enthusiastic until she looked over at Alice still sitting on the bench by herself.

"Em, we can't." she told him, nodding toward Alice.

Emmett frowned and walked over to Ali. "Hey, Sis! Ready?"

Alice smiled and jumped up. "Yep." she told him, trying to sound upbeat.

"Cool." he grabbed her hand and led her over to the others. "Everybody agree, then?" he asked.

The others all nodded and agreed in excited voices. Alice looked at them questioningly, but kept a smile on her face. She glanced at Jasper to see him smirking at her and a wave of unease swept over her. "What is he up to?" she wondered, looking away.

Alice sputtered when she saw where Emmett was leading her. "E... Em... Emmett... ?" He looked down at her and she was shaking her head. "I... no... "

"Come on, Ali... " he whined. "If you don't go, someone will have to wait out here with you and we all want to go in."

Alice looked around desperately, but none of the others would meet her eyes. Even Rose wouldn't look at her.

"I... I'll sit on the bench. I won't move... I promise." She knew it was useless, but she hated going into dark, scary places like this, especially without anyone to hang onto.

She looked over at Jasper. She knew he was somehow part of this, but he wouldn't look at her. Why was he trying to hurt her? She knew they were mad at each other, but didn't he love her any more?

She put her head down, there was nothing she could do. She knew that her guilt at making someone wait out here with her, would be worse than just going in and getting it over with. She let go of Emmett's hand and went to stand by the others in front of the entrance, waiting patiently.

Jasper grinned at her spunk and went to stand behind her. Emmett paid the fee for them all to go in, and they entered cautiously. Before entering the door, Alice looked behind her at Jasper and caught him looking down at her.

"I know you instigated this, Jasper." she told him in a low voice. "I just don't know why."

"You're wrong, Alice." he responded, trying not to smile. "Emmett saw the sign, I didn't say anything. I was going to offer to stay out here with you, but I didn't think you'd want me to."

He kept his expression so innocent, but Alice saw the glint of mischief in his eyes. She turned back to the door with a humph and went inside. She heard Jasper snicker and vowed to pay him back.

The inside of the haunted house was pitch black. Alice couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. She instinctively leaned back toward Jasper before remembering that she was mad at him. She heard Rosalie scream somewhere in front of her and Emmett laugh, and then Edward exclaimed, "Shit!" and Bella giggled.

Alice starting twisting her fingers together, she couldn't do this. She turned back toward the entrance but couldn't see anything in front or back of her. She kept telling herself it was just for fun, but she couldn't stop the sob that rose in her throat from seeping out. She just stood there, unsure of which way to go and heard Jessica squeal and laugh off to her right. She turned in that direction and stumbled through the dark, trying to figure out which way to go. She knew that Jasper was here somewhere but she was all turned around and panic started clawing at her throat and she felt like she couldn't breath.

Finally, she choked out, "Alright, Jasper. I give in. Please... I'll do anything."

She felt him come up behind her and wrap his arms around her. She turned and buried her face in his chest. She needed him and it made her feel even more inadequate than she'd felt at any other time that day.

"I'm so sorry, Ali." Jasper whispered in her hair. "I am. I don't know why I act the way I do. I just feel so... so... I don't know... trapped sometimes... " Alice stiffened in his hold. "No... Not by you... by my own... shit... You know... I have plans... and then things... change and I... I can't control it. I hate not having control over... things... "

He kissed her hair. "I have no excuse. I acted horribly. I won't do it ever again. I won't... "

Alice sighed and pulled away. "Don't say that, Jasper. You can't promise you won't... "

"Yes, I can." he interrupted. "I've never acted that way with anyone ever before. It's not me. I know it's not."

"Okay... I believe you, Jas." Alice told him. "Please... can you get me out of here now?"

"Yeah... come on." He found her hand and led her forward.

They didn't get but three feet, and a monster with a chainsaw jumped out at them. Alice jumped and a faint squeak escaped her throat. She had to hold it together. She steeled herself for whatever was in front of them and concentrated on feeling the floor beneath her feet. She clung to Jasper's hand vowing not to scream.

He was a snake. He knew it and he knew that Ali knew it. He had been a jerk to her all day and then he had manipulated Emmett into going into the haunted house where he knew that Ali would give in to him. Emmett probably would've wanted to go into the haunted house any way but, by instigating it, he was using Ali's fears against her. The right thing to do, would've been to offer to stay outside with her, but of course, he followed through with whatever would benefit him the most. He had always thought he was a better person than that, but, where Ali was concerned, he was a complete ass.

He heard Jessica and Bella both scream and Edward and Brent start laughing up ahead of them. He could feel Alice trembling, but he knew she was trying so hard to be brave. God, she was something. He really didn't deserve her.

He jumped when a light flashed and blood splashed up against a window next to them. A dummy dressed as Freddie Kruger was killing a girl on her bed in the scene. Alice shuddered and moved closer to him, but no sound came out of her. Jasper grinned, his girl was amazing.

After about fifteen minutes of flashing lights, gory scenes and scary sounds, Jasper figured they should almost be done. Alice was being a real trooper. She had jumped, gasped and squeezed his hand until it was numb, but she had not made so much as a squeak. Just then, a person dressed up as a zombie, appeared from behind a curtain. He made a groaning kind of snarl and grabbed onto Alice. Ali practically climbed up Jasper and he held her tightly to his chest.

"It's all right, Ali." he whispered near her ear. "It's just a person dressed up."

"Please... I... I want out. I'll do anything... " she breathed and attacked his lips with hers. He gasped in surprise and Ali slipped her tongue in his mouth and kissed him frantically. He started to pull away and she tightened her fists in his hair. He stumbled back against a wall and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Whoa... " he thought, his eyes widening in shock. Jasper tried to concentrate on keeping a level head. He knew Ali was just reacting to being scared and he didn't want to do anything he'd regret later, but he was so turned on by her initiative that it took all his resolve to not take her right there against the wall.

"Ali?" he choked out, tearing his mouth away from hers. She continued to frantically kiss along his jaw and down his neck. Her hand came out of his hair and ripped at his T-shirt, trying to pull it down so she could kiss his chest. She was gasping for air and he ran his hand along her outer thigh up to the edge of her shorts. He wanted so badly to touch her, and ran his hand over her butt and up under the back of her shirt. Her skin was so silky and he groaned. The sound seemed to spur her on and she started rubbing herself against his erection.

Jasper stiffened his whole body and pried her off him as quickly, but gently as he could. She whimpered in protest and tried to hang onto him, but he finally got through to her.

"Ali. Ali. Not here. Darlin', we need to stop. Ali... " He called to her and she froze, gasping. "It's all right, Ali. Everything's all right." He felt her slump against the wall and heard a little sobbing sound. He kept his arm around her and talked softly to her until she stood straight again.

"Come on, Darlin'." he coaxed her. "Let's get out of here." She took a tentative step and he guided her through the darkness until they finally reached the exit.

Emmett and Rose smiled when they saw Alice and Jasper come out of the haunted house together. He had his arm around her and she was clinging to him. Both of their hair was mussed and their lips were red and swollen. Then, Jasper raised his eyes to them and both their hopes sank when they saw the despair there. Alice's face was pale in the lights from the midway and her eyes darted around desperately.

Rose looked up at Emmett. "I think we better go now, Em." He nodded his agreement and started making his way back toward where the cars were parked.

"Well, guys, how about we head for home? I'm bushed." Emmett said to no one in particular. There were sounds of agreement and everyone followed behind him and Rose. They reached the cars and Emmett was going to suggest that Jasper ride with Rose and take Edward and Jessica with them, but Alice looked as though she had no intention of letting go of Jasper any time soon, so he had them climb into the back of Rose's Camaro and he took the others in his mom's car with him.

Emmett thought long and hard the whole way home. He wasn't happy about it, but he knew that he and Jasper were going to have to have a talk. Either that, or their dads were going to have to get involved. Ali was languishing in their relationship and Jasper was devastated. They couldn't go on like this any more.


	47. Anything But You

47.

Anything But You

Desperation clawed at Ali's throat. The darkness was pressing in and she knew the stress was catching up to her. She had always been terrified of the dark and scary things... movies, stories, monsters, whatever... she just couldn't handle the possibility of something horrifying waiting for her in the dark. She had planned to hang on to Emmett through the haunted house, but he had disappeared into the dark with the others. She knew Jasper was still there... somewhere, but he wouldn't help her. She knew he was using her fear against her and she resisted as long as she could, but, finally, she couldn't fight against the terror any longer.

"Alright, Jasper..." she had choked out. "I... I... give in. Please... I'll do anything... "

The jerk must've been waiting close by, because he came up to her immediately and put his arms around her. In her mind, she imagined strangling him, but her panicky body gave in to his familiar, safe warmth and she held onto him for all she was worth. She hated being so needy, especially after the way he had acted all day, and she felt totally worthless. He had given her some lame excuse for his horrid behavior and she had heedlessly promised him anything, if he would just get her out of there. She knew what he wanted, and she would even give him that, if he would just hurry and find the exit.

Alice had hoped that the exit was near but, when the idiot dressed as a zombie, had jumped out and actually grabbed her, she had lost it and her mind had shut down. All she felt was desperation, desperation to do whatever it took to get Jasper to lead her out of there. She knew that most people would laugh at her insecurity, but she couldn't help it. She'd much rather be like her friends and giggle and laugh in the dark, but this overwhelming fear had been with her as long as she could remember.

She had acted on instinct, her mind gone numb with panic, and proceeded to do 'anything' with Jasper, right there, to hurry their escape along. He, of course, had to be in control, and had prevented her from finishing what she'd started. He'd made her stop, telling her that he didn't want to have sex with her there, in the haunted house.

Finally, they were out of there, but now she had a new fear. Now, he would collect on the debt when her mind was lucid, and she would have to submit to him... totally aware of his hold over her, and powerless to do anything about it. She briefly mourned the loss of the boy she had loved and depended on her whole life. She didn't know this boy, this cruel, manipulative boy who seemed bent on making her miserable.

She stumbled out of the haunted house, still clinging to Jasper, her game prizes long since lost and forgotten in the darkness, and searching desperately for an escape. She felt well and truly backed into a corner. Resigned to her fate, she slipped back into her numb state and let them pack her into the back of Rosalie's car.

For once, Alice had stayed awake on the drive home. Her mind kicked into survival mode and desperately sought a way out of her situation. The silence in the car was deafening, each person lost in their own thoughts. No one spoke so much as a word until Rosalie pulled the Camaro into her driveway. Alice sat there looking out the window even after Rose had turned the car off, and seemed to come out of her daze, only when Jasper gently touched her hand.

"You awake there, Angel?" Jasper asked, smiling worriedly at her. She tried to smile back at him, but she couldn't manage it, so she just nodded. He unfolded himself from the back of the car and turned to offer her a hand. She reluctantly took his hand and slipped out, wondering if she was expected to settle her debt tonight, or if he was going to add apprehension as interest on to what she owed.

Jasper looked at Ali's face as he helped her out of the car. There was that look again, like she didn't know him. He smiled at her and led her across the yard to her house.

"Goodnight, Ali." he said as they reached the front door.

Alice opened the door and looked back over her shoulder at him. "Goodnight." she said and closed the door behind her.

Emmett and Edward pulled into the driveway as Jasper was on his way back to his house.

"Hey, Jas." they called, as they got out of Em's Jeep. Edward went on into the house, but Emmett stopped, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. "Uh... we need to talk, bro."

Jasper acknowledged his request with a sigh and walked over to him. "Okay... we doin' it here?"

"Here's as good a place as any, huh?" he asked. At Jasper's nod, Emmett continued, "Jas... you know I love you, you're not only my best friend, you're like another brother, but, dude, the whole Ali-Jas thing just ain't working, ya' know? I know you care about her, man, but she's totally miserable. You don't seem real happy, either." Jasper made to offer his two cents, but Emmett put his hand up to stop him. "You know I gotta' say this, Jas. I think you need to break it off with Ali. Rose disagrees, but it's obvious to me there's no hope for it."

Jasper looked at Emmett's feet. "I know, Em." Jasper yielded, much to Emmett's surprise. "I've accepted the fact that things can't go on the way they are. It's not fair to any of us. It's just going to be really hard." He sighed and looked up. "I do love her, ya' know?"

Emmett came forward and patted him on the shoulder. "I know, Jas. I'm really sorry. Maybe things will work out when she's older. I don't know... who ever knows how these things work?"

Jasper nodded, his shoulders slumped in defeat, "See ya' tomorrow, Em." and walked slowly home.

All week, Ali did her best to avoid Jasper. It was a lot easier than she thought, as he didn't seek her out at all. In fact, she only saw him once the whole time.

One afternoon, while the band was practicing, Ali decided to go swimming. She had been in the water for about forty-five minutes and got out to lay in the sun for a while. She walked over to a chaise lounge chair next to the pool, dripping wet and looked up to see Jasper standing behind his house watching her. She had frozen in place, dreading his approach, but he'd just stood there looking at her. Finally, she had grabbed her towel off of the chaise, wrapped it around herself and escaped into her house.

That had been two days ago, and Alice had made a decision. Now, all she had to do was find Emmett so she could tell him about it. She knocked on his bedroom door, hoping he wasn't over at Rosalie's. When there was no answer, she sighed in frustration, wondering how long it would be before he made it home. She decided to go downstairs for something to drink and found him in the kitchen.

"Emmett! I've been looking for you." Alice greeted him with relief. "Is it alright with you if I just give you the papers for the concert tomorrow? I'm going to stay home, but everything is all set so there should be no problems."

"Ali... there's no reason for you to stay home..." Emmett began.

"Em... I really don't want to go tomorrow. I really don't." Alice grasped for some explanation. "Last weekend was not... fun... for me. I cannot bring myself to endure another day like that. The band really doesn't need me there, anyway. It'll be fine."

Emmett accepted her choice, but he wasn't happy about it. "That's fine, Ali. Whatever you want to do." he stated. Then he asked, "Have you told Edward and Jasper?"

Alice shook her head, getting a glass of water. "No, why would they care if I go, or not? It's not a big deal."

Emmett shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's not. Give me the papers and I'll put them out in the Jeep."

"Okay," Alice smiled. "Thanks, Em."

"No problem. I'm gonna' miss you tomorrow, though." He said.

Alice looked sad, but smiled anyway. "No you won't, Emmett. No one will." And Emmett watched her walk out of the room.

Saturday was a long day for just about everyone. Jackson and Carlisle had both gotten stuck at the hospital, so Lynnette, who was so happy to be home for a change, was recruited to drive the equipment van to the concert. Emmett drove his Jeep since there weren't as many people going, Esme had her usual volunteer duties to fulfill, even Rose had a cheerleading meeting she couldn't get out of. The only person in the two households with no obligations that day, was Alice.

She was curled up on her bed with Jasmine and a good book. She kind of liked the fact that she was home alone, it rarely happened, and she went downstairs to fix herself some lunch. A ham sandwich, Iced Tea and some celery sticks later, Alice was content again snuggling with her kitten and her book. She had just decided that she might go for a swim when she heard a car in the drive. She looked at the clock. It was only 2:00 in the afternoon, so it couldn't be the band already. They had been scheduled for 11:00. It must be her dad getting off from the hospital. She went to her window to look out and frowned when she saw that it was indeed, her brothers coming back from the concert.

"Great." She thought. "Why are they back so early? I hope I didn't mess something up."

She went downstairs to see what was going on and Edward assured her that everything had gone well.

"The concert was great, Ali. It went off without a hitch." Edward told her. "We just decided to come straight home afterward instead of hanging out. It wasn't as fun without you, Jessica and Rose."

"Jessica didn't go, either?" Ali asked.

Edward shook his head. "Brent said that she had some family commitment today."

"Oh. Well, it's really hot out today, anyway. It's probably better you came home." Alice told him, not sure if she was convincing him, or herself. Guilt was right up there with the dark and monster movies. She didn't handle any of them very well.

"Yeah, we thought maybe we'd go for a swim. Why don't you come out with us? Brent is here. He's unpacking his drums."

Alice smiled. "Thanks, Edward. Maybe I will." Then, as an afterthought she asked. "Is Jasper swimming, too?"

Edward looked puzzled. "I don't know, he didn't say for sure. Why?"

Alice looked at him like he was stupid. "Um... no reason. I just wondered." Was Edward really that unobservant, Alice wondered. Didn't he realize any of the drama that had gone on last weekend? Well, if he hadn't, she had less to be embarrassed about, she guessed.

Alice approached the sliding glass doors on the back of the house, dressed in her pink and yellow bikini, and looked out. She saw Edward and Brent by the pool and smiled. She hadn't seen Brent all week, either, and she looked forward to talking to him. Since he had started dating Jessica, they were still good friends, but they hardly did anything together any more.

She went outside and smiled as she made her way across the yard. Brent was laughing and yelling at Edward who had jumped in the pool, purposely splashing him.

"Ali!" Brent yelled when he saw her. "We missed you today, sweetheart." They gave each other a big hug and Brent continued. "Don't ever do that to us again."

Alice looked at him with wide eyes. "Do what?" she asked.

"Not come to a concert." he answered. "We all missed you. It just wasn't the same and I don't think we played as well, either."

"Oh, Brent. I'm sure you guys were just as awesome as ever." Alice countered with a scoffing giggle.

"I don't know, Ali... " Brent said, suddenly looking up toward the Hales' house. There was Jasper walking across the lawn in his swimsuit. His step faltered when he saw Alice, indecision flooding his face, but then he continued his steps toward the pool.

Ali felt panic seize her for a minute, but then forced herself to relax. It was just Jasper, after all, and, though she owed him, surely he wouldn't try to collect with Brent and Edward right there. She'd just act like old times, before he started looking at her funny all the time. Before he had kissed her.

"Hey Ali." Jasper greeted her. "We missed you at the concert. I hope you're feeling better." He looked hopeful, but there was a sadness in his eyes.

"Um... thank you. Jas..." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes and Edward and Brent exchanged a look.

They both knew that something was going on, but they really had no clue. No one had said a word about a fight or anything. All they knew was that Jasper had been pissed off last weekend when Ali had gotten lost and that he and Ali hadn't sat together afterwards at the demolition derby. He had mentioned something about her flirting with a guy, but they both knew Ali would never do something like that. She was crazy about Jasper and, from what Brent had learned since he had met them all, she always had been.

Jasper was happy when he saw Alice out by the pool, he hadn't expected her to sit out the concert and had been disappointed that he wouldn't have the chance to talk to her. He had ridden with Emmett in his Jeep since there wasn't room for all of them in the van, and they had talked about Ali.

"Is she sick?" Jasper asked Emmett.

"Not really, Jas. She just said she... couldn't handle another day like... last weekend." Emmett told him carefully, trying not to upset him any more than he already was.

"That's just not like her to not come to the concert, though. She's usually so dependable." Jasper had insisted.

Emmett glanced over at Jasper. "I don't know, Jas. I'm just telling you what she told me."

Jasper looked down at his hands. "Oh." He got it. She didn't want to take the chance that he would treat her like crap again. He looked back at Emmett with concern. "Did she say anything else?"

"Jas! Man, I told you. That was it." Emmett exhaled loudly. "She's had a really rough week, okay? There've been nightmares... every night. We almost called you night before last. She had three in one night... I've never seen that before... and she wouldn't wake up the last time. No matter what any of us did, she wouldn't wake up. Mom even tried ice cold water on her face. Nothing."

Jasper, extreme concern evident on his face, asked. "How'd you finally wake her?"

"Dad." Emmett told him.

Jasper looked at him incredulously. "She woke up your dad?"

Emmett nodded.

Carlisle could sleep through just about anything. All his years at the hospital had trained him to be able to fall asleep wherever and whenever, and to sleep through any noise. He usually only woke up to his alarm or to someone physically shaking him. For him to wake up during one of Ali's nightmares meant that it must have been really bad.

"She was literally screaming, Jas. I mean... blood-curdling screams. It was terrifying." Emmett shuddered at the memory. "I don't know what the hell was after her, but she was fighting for her life. When dad finally woke her up, she was whimpering and crying and begging dad to help her, almost like the nightmare was real, and she was still in it. Edward and I were both seriously creeped out watching her. My mom was lost. I heard her crying in her room afterward."

"Shit." Jasper whispered, running his hand through his hair. "What are they gonna' do?"

"They're making her go back to therapy. They want her to start on Monday." Emmett confided. "Don't tell her I told you."

Jasper shook his head. "I won't." he promised. He bit his lip and looked out the window. He prayed that he wasn't contributing to Ali's nightmares, but, he knew he wasn't helping her, either. He looked back at Emmett. He wanted to ask him if he thought Ali's latest nightmares were his fault, but the words wouldn't come.

The concert had gone well, they had set up in record time, played their set and packed up. The crowd had been terrific and they had played great, but it had seemed so routine. There hadn't been any excitement... any fun... without the girls there. It was nice that Lynnette could see them play, but no one had wanted to stay afterward, so they had just come home.

Jasper put his towel down on one of the chairs and got into the pool with Edward. Ali watched him with a small frown on her face, then she remembered that Brent was standing in front of her. She looked up to see him looking at her thoughtfully. She gave him a small smile and asked him if he was going to swim.

"Yeah, I guess. Aren't you?" he questioned her.

"I... I... don't think so. I'm... kind of tired." she told him. "I'll just see you later, okay?"

"Okay, Ali." he said. "Let's try and set aside a day next week to hang out. I miss you."

Alice gave him a big smile and hugged him. "I miss you, too, Brent." When she pulled back, Brent was surprised to see tears in her eyes. Before he could say anything, she turned and ran into the house. The boys watched her go, Jasper's gaze lingering a little longer, while Brent and Edward exchanged puzzled looks.

The next day, a rare event occurred. Both Jackson and Carlisle were off from the hospital, and Lynnette didn't have any meetings, so they, along with Esme, decided to spend the day in Milwaukee. Edward was invited to go with Bella to a picnic being held for her dad's team and their families, which meant that Brent and Jessica would be there, as well, and Emmett and Rose had made plans weeks ago to go into Chicago with a group of their friends. Esme was concerned that Alice would be alone, but Carlisle assured her that they wouldn't be home late.

Alice wasn't concerned about being home alone. What did concern her, was that Jasper would be home alone, also. She worried all night long that he would expect her to live up to their deal while everyone else was gone. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense to get it over with while there was no chance of someone finding out.

It was getting light outside when Alice finally fell asleep. She began dreaming almost immediately.

It was pitch black and Alice couldn't see anything, but she could hear growling noises all around her. She started running, but she couldn't see where she was going or what was growling. All she knew, was that she needed to get away. She felt icy breath on the back of her neck and heard a cruel, mocking laugh right behind her. She screamed and tried to run faster, but whatever was after her seemed to be toying with her. Suddenly, she felt cold, clammy hands grab her and spin her around. Evil, red eyes laughed at her in the darkness and the darkness began to lighten. All around her, she could make out glowing crimson eyes and, as the darkness faded to a grim, gray nothingness, the eyes attached themselves to shapes that then became her family. Her mom, her dad, Emmett, Edward, Jackson, Lynnette and Rose, all circled around her, taunting her with their evil grins and growling voices, telling her to give in and accept her fate. She spun around looking for a way out, or someone to help her.

Jackson walked up to her, his eyes normal and a warm grin on his face, his hand reaching out to her. "It's alright, Angel. Take my hand. I'll help you."

Alice cast distrusting eyes at him, but he smiled reassuringly and she took his hand. She watched in horror as his eyes turned red and his face contorted into an evil grin. She tried to pull her hand away, but his claw-like fingers dug into her skin preventing her escape. He laughed cruelly and looked at something behind her. She cautiously turned to look behind her and felt faint at the sight before her.

A beautiful, golden boy stood there. He was looking at her with kind emerald eyes and the sweetest smile. His bright, blonde hair hung past his jaw, curling at the ends, and his tall, angular body looked healthy and tanned. Her hand was given into his by the cruel talons of his father. She opened her mouth to scream, but his hand was warm and his smile was comforting and, as he drew her forward, she felt herself relax and smiled softly up at him. He enfolded her safely in his arms and she snuggled into his chest. He loosened his hold slightly and she looked up into his gorgeous face. Her eyes widened in horror and her mouth opened in a silent scream as she watched his face transform. Bright scarlet replaced gentle emerald and a fiendish smirk replaced his sweet, loving smile.

He bent forward, his icy breath washing over her throat as he whispered in her ear. "Submit, Angel. There is no escape. You were mine from the very beginning. Accept it."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she looked up into his blood red eyes. He smiled wickedly, revealing long, gleaming, white fangs and she reached up to brush her hair aside, tilting her head so he had better access to her throat. She screamed in agony as his sharp fangs pierced her skin, the screaming only stopping once he had drained her and her lifeless body fell to the floor, her sapphire eyes wide open and staring, her inky hair spread in a puddle around her.

"Alice! Alice! Wake up, darlin'. Please... " Her eyes shot open and she screamed again. He was bent over her still, surrounded by her family. She scrambled away from them, as far as she could go until the wall was at her back.

"Keep away from me." She sobbed hysterically. "I will not let you give me to him."

Jasper backed away and they all stood there staring at her crouching like a cornered animal. She watched them warily, tensed to run, and waited, her breathing harsh.

After a minute, Alice began to shake uncontrollably and Esme slowly approached her talking gently. "Ali? Angel? It's Mom, sweetheart."

"I know who you are... " Alice snarled at her mom, "you're trying to fool me so you can give me to _him_."

She glared at Jasper who stood watching with tears in his eyes. His phone had woken him from a troubled sleep about ten minutes ago. Emmett, his voice desperate, had begged him to come over and see if he could wake up Alice. He said that she was having a horrible nightmare and not even his dad could wake her.

Esme let out a small sob and Carlisle put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Honey, it's okay, she's still locked in her nightmare." He turned to Alice. "Alice Anelle Cullen. That's enough." he said, sternly. "You're awake now and you're safe. No one is going to hurt you."

Alice blinked a few times and her face relaxed. She looked around her like she didn't know where she was. "Daddy?" She asked, hopefully, her body still shaking.

Carlisle approached her and held out his arms. Alice crawled to him and sobbed as he pulled her into his embrace. "Shhhhhh... Everything is all right, Ali. We all love you and won't let anything hurt you."

Alice nodded her head against his chest, waiting for his soothing voice to somehow stop her shaking.

"Ali, are you sure you're going to be all right? Esme asked her, again, Carlisle trying to urge her out the door.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Mom, I'll be fine. I can always call Jasper or Papa Mitch if I need anyone."

"Okay, Ali. Promise you'll call me if you do need anyone, all right?" Esme pleaded.

"I will, Mom. Go have a good time and please, stop worrying." Alice assured her.

Esme gave her a kiss and hug and went out to get in the car. Alice stood in the doorway as the four adults pulled out of the driveway and waved. She closed the door and thought about what she should do next. Just then, the phone rang.

"Hello?" Ali answered.

"Ali? It's Jasper." A smooth, familiar voice said.

"Hi Jas." Ali greeted him, cautiously.

"Um... I was wondering... " he began hesitantly.

"Yes." Alice interrupted him. "Do you want me to come over there, or do you want to come over here?"

"Well... I can come over there, if you want." he told her, thinking Emmett must've already told her why he was calling.

"Okay. The door is open." she told him and hung up the phone.

Jasper walked in the Cullens' front door and shut it behind him. He looked around the silent house. "Ali?" he called.

"Up here, Jas." she said.

Jasper went up the stairs and down the hall and stopped in her bedroom doorway. She was sitting on her bed petting Jasmine. She looked up and told him to come in. He sat on the bed and started to pet the cat, too.

"Ali? How are you feeling?" he asked, looking concerned.

Alice looked up at him sharply. "Fine. Why?" she demanded.

"Well, everyone was really... freaked out... by the nightmare you had last night... I... was worried... " he stuttered as though he couldn't find the right words.

"I'm fine, Jasper, really. After today, I'm hoping the nightmares will stop." she assured him.

"After today?" he looked up with puzzled eyes. "Don't you mean tomorrow?"

Now it was her turn to be puzzled. "Tomorrow?" She shook her head. "No. Today would be better. Everyone is gone."

Jasper frowned at her. "Ali, I don't think we are talking about the same thing. What are you talking about?"

"Our... arrangement. What are you talking about?" she wondered.

"Arrangement? I thought you were seeing the therapist tomorrow." Jasper said, clearly clueless.

Alice's whole face fell. "I don't need to see that damn therapist." she ground out. "There is nothing wrong with me."

"Then what do you mean?" he continued to try to figure out what she was planning.

"You know... our arrangement. Our... deal... ?" At his blank look, she sighed, "Please, Jas. You're getting what you want. No more games, okay?" She got up and walked to the door. She closed it and lodged the desk chair under the knob.

At Jasper's raised eyebrows, she sighed, "Just in case. I won't be able to relax otherwise."

She walked back to the bed, set Jasmine on the floor and laid down. Jasper just continued to sit there looking at her. "Jasper?" She held her arms out to him, but he just sat there. She put her arms down and frowned at him. Then a thought dawned on her. "Oh. Should I take my clothes off first?" She sat up and started to raise her top.

Jasper grabbed her hands and stopped her. "Alice? What the hell are you doing?" he said in an even voice and noticed she was trembling. "I am not sure if I've gone insane, or you have."

"Don't be so dramatic, Jasper." She scoffed, rolling her eyes as though nothing was wrong. "I'm following through on my promise. Isn't that why you called?" she said.

"Alice, what promise are you talking about, and why are you taking off your clothes?" Jasper gritted out. "Explain this to me, please, because you cannot possibly mean what I am thinking you mean."

"In the haunted house, I promised I'd do... anything... if you got me out... and you said, 'not here'. That meant you wanted to wait until we got home, right?" It was Alice's turn to look puzzled. "Am I missing something?" She blushed and looked away. "I don't know that much about this... sort of thing."

"You shouldn't know that much about this... 'sort of thing', you're thirteen years old, Ali." His eyes turned dark and and fury marred his face. Alice felt fear run through her. "I can't believe that you think I would make a deal with you about sex, Alice. That makes you no better than a prostitute."

Ali flinched and looked down at her hands. "I was desperate." she whispered.

He lifted her chin with a finger. "Ali, when I make love to you, it's going to be because we both want it. Not because you made a deal with the devil, out of fear." He shook his head, he couldn't believe she thought so little of him. "Have I really been such a jerk?" Ali wouldn't meet his eyes and he sighed.

Her eyes flew back to his face. "If you didn't call me for... uh... well... what did you call me for?"

Jasper looked uneasy. "Well... Ali... um... this... isn't working." He gestured between them. "We both know it, Ali. Emmett even knows it. I should never have started it. I just couldn't stay away, you know?" He caressed her cheek as she tried to blink back the tears suddenly filling her eyes. "You're just so beautiful... so sweet. I've loved you since the first time I saw you." He cupped her face in his hands. "I'll always feel that you're mine."

Jasper leaned forward and covered her lips tenderly. Her thick, dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks, tears slipping from beneath them, and she sighed into his mouth. He deepened the kiss, even as he fought against it. Her sweetness was essential and he felt he'd die without it.

Alice put her hands against his chest and fisted them in his shirt. She moaned deep in her throat and pulled Jasper back onto the bed with her. His eyes flew open and he started to pull back.

"No... " she whimpered into his mouth. "I want to... "

He shook his head but his mouth still clung to hers. He wanted to drink her in. Keep her with him always.

Jasper felt her tiny fingers tangle in his hair and he gently stroked the silky skin of her throat. God, she was so soft... smelled so good... tasted so... sweet... he groaned. He couldn't make love to her, but, maybe he could... just... touch her... .

"Ali... please... let me... can I... touch you... ?" he begged, kissing down her cheek.

She nodded her head, gasping at the sensations his lips created along her jaw. He lowered his hand to her stomach and slipped his fingers under her shirt. He groaned, she was so soft... so warm...

He was laying half on her and he shifted so he could move his hand further up. He reached the band of her bra and gently ran his fingers along it to her back. He fumbled with the closure keeping him from the silkiness he sought. Finally, the material parted and he smiled against Ali's throat. He heard her giggle softly and looked up into her twinkling sapphire eyes. He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at her and she giggled again. He dove in to cover her lips with his again and groaned as his hand came back around to cup her breast.

Alice drew in her breath at the feel of his warm fingers covering her sensitive skin. She felt her nipple stiffen under his touch and heat shot down her tummy, between her legs. Overwhelmed by the feel of his mouth on hers and his hand caressing her delicate, budding flesh, her body arched up to rub itself against Jasper's hip.

He drew back again to gape at her in surprise and she yanked at his hair, panting. "Jas... don't... " her lashes slowly raised and she gazed at him with eyes that were heavy-lidded and glowing. He gasped at how beautiful she looked, all pink and glowing, and he knew he could never let her go.

"Ali... I love you... so... so much... " he leaned down to say against her softly curving stomach and pushed her shirt up to kiss the tender skin there. His hand continued to fondle her breast and she was squirming with sensation. She panted and whimpered and dug her fingers through his thick blonde hair over and over again.

Jasper's hand left her breast to push her shirt higher, followed by his mouth and Ali gasped as she caught his hand in hers. He looked up at her.

"Ali... " he whispered. "I need to see... please... " She looked scared but let go of his hand. He kept his eyes on her face and pushed her shirt and bra up past her breasts. She shut her eyes tight and he looked down, gasping at the sight of her. "Ali... you're so... beautiful... " he breathed. He covered her petal pink nipple with his mouth and they both moaned. Ali arched again and Jasper smiled, his tongue laving her nipple. His other hand began grazing the softness of her neglected breast and Ali began writhing beneath him, tossing her head on the pillow. She tugged at his hair, and moaned, "Jasper... "

Jasper raised his head up and kissed her, his hand never leaving her other breast and Ali ran her hands up and down his back. "Jasper... please... " she was panting with need, but didn't know what she needed. He moved his hand down to cup her through her shorts and she almost came off the bed. "No!" she gasped, but then she made a mewling noise and sobbed into his mouth.

"It's all right, Ali." he assured her as he kissed down the side of her throat. "Relax and just... feel."

She sobbed and writhed as he rubbed her and stroked her and kissed her, and she cried out, "Help me... " as she came apart in his arms. He grinned against her shoulder as she made little noises deep in her throat, still squirming with sensation. Finally she quieted and let out a deep breath, collapsing into her comforter. Jasper stayed still, waiting for Ali to come around. Slowly she opened her eyes and he gazed into their sapphire depths. She blushed and closed them again, and he chuckled.

"Ali? You all right, Angel?" he asked in a coaxing voice. She nodded, keeping her eyes tightly closed and he chuckled again. "You don't have to be embarrassed, darlin'. You're so... beautiful and... just... perfect. I wanted to make you... feel good." He leaned in to whisper. "Did you feel good, Ali?"

She blushed even deeper and nodded. Jasper chuckled again, shifting to lay at her side, and gathered her in his arms. He pulled her shirt back over her nakedness and kissed her forehead. She lay there quietly, enjoying being snuggled against his chest, and contently breathed in his scent.

"No wonder you like... that... so much." She said in a wondrous voice. "That was... " she giggled. "terrifying... "

He laughed and hugged her to him.

"What about you, Jasper?" Ali worked up the nerve to ask in a breathy voice.

"What about me?" he repeated, kissing the top of her head.

"Don't you need to... feel good, too?" She murmured, remembering the night of the fireworks when he had rubbed himself against her.

"Darlin', right now, I feel happier than a pig sittin' in the middle of a sty of sweet potato pie." he chuckled, using one of his grandma's favorite sayings. "I don't need anything but you."


	48. Breakthrough

48.

Breakthrough

Jasper cuddled Ali on her bed. He had a smug smile on his face and was feeling pretty proud of himself. He hadn't planned on making out with Ali when he came over here, in fact, he had planned on breaking up with her, but when he had finally figured out what she was talking about, he had been furious. How could she actually think that he would make a deal to force her to have sex with him? That wasn't saying much for her opinion of him, that was for sure.

She had tried to act brave when she was talking to him about why she thought he was there, but she had been trembling and he could see in her eyes that she had been scared. She had trusted him, though, and he loved how powerful he had felt when she was squirming in passion at his hands.

He looked down at her napping against his chest and grinned. God, she had turned him on with the little noises she had made and, the louder and more demanding she became, the more turned on he had gotten. He was still a little angry that she actually thought he would try to make her have sex with him, but he felt guilty more than anything. He knew there was no excuse for the way he'd treated her, but he hadn't done it deliberately, he had just felt so irritated at her. Actually, if he was honest with himself, he hadn't been irritated at her at all, he had been irritated with himself.

He remembered the two girls who had approached him after their concert at Wilmot. He had looked over at Ali where she was waiting patiently for him, and she hadn't even seemed to care that he was talking to other girls. They were dressed kind of suggestively, pretty much the way Savannah had dressed, and they were flirting outrageously with him. Both of them had basically told him that they wanted to fool around with him, but he hadn't wanted to take either of them up on it, especially with Alice there. He purposely took his time talking to them, though, to see if Ali would do anything, but she just stood there, even after Jessica and Bella had left with Edward and Brent. He had been pretty irritated by her lack of jealousy until he had glanced over and seen her talking to two guys. Instantly, he had been furious. He had snapped something at the two girls and stalked immediately over to Alice. He'd rudely yelled her name and yanked her away.

He was shocked at his own behavior. He was never rude to anyone, his mom had taught him better than that, and he'd surely never been purposely mean to Ali. Even when Edward and Emmett had been mean to her when they were younger, he had always stuck up for her.

He couldn't figure it out. Why the hell didn't she get jealous when he was laughing and flirting with other girls, and why the hell did he get so jealous when she was talking to other guys?

After that, his irritation had just seemed to escalate. No matter what she'd done, it had pissed him off. By the time they had realized she was missing, he had actually felt relieved that she was gone. Of course, as soon as he'd thought it, he'd been ashamed and panic had taken over as thoughts of what could've happened to her flooded his brain. When he'd seen her with another guy, he felt rage so powerful that he was afraid for a second that he would actually hurt her.

It wasn't until they were sitting back in the stands that he had come to his senses. He'd gone over the whole afternoon in his head and had been so ashamed. No one knew to what extent he had bullied Ali but, if they had, they would've kicked his ass, and he would've deserved it. He sure hoped his parents never found out, or Ali's parents, either, God forbid.

He cringed remembering how he'd stood back listening to Ali panic in the haunted house. He knew she'd call for him eventually, and then he'd be forgiven, but he didn't plan on her throwing herself at him. Now he remembered her saying she'd do anything if he'd get her out of there. At the time, he'd thought it was just her way of letting him know how serious she was. He'd never thought she actually meant it. He pictured her face on the ride back and how defeated she'd seemed, even when he'd walked her home.

God, he was such a jerk! He had to get ahold of himself or he'd lose Ali for good, and then what would he do?

Jasper felt Alice stir in his arms. He held his breath and froze. He didn't want to wake her, he was enjoying holding her in his arms too much. She made a little noise and snuggled into him and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"She must be exhausted," he thought. Emmett said she had been having those extreme nightmares every night for a week. He was tired and he'd only been awakened one night. He closed his eyes and breathed in the fragrance of Ali's hair. He hoped she'd sleep for a while longer.

Jasper opened his eyes and felt Ali's soft, warm body against his chest. He must've fallen asleep himself. He looked behind him at the clock and saw that it was after 12:00. He'd come over to see Ali as soon as their parents left this morning at 8:30, so they'd been sleeping a while.

He looked down at her peaceful face. She looked so young. Until you looked down past her chin, that is. He grinned again, remembering how Alice had blushed as he'd admired her breasts. Every inch of her was creamy soft, beautiful perfection. He didn't know how one small girl could be so flawless, but she was.

Dark blue eyes, drowsy with sleep, looked up into his and he smiled. Alice smiled back and he saw the exact moment she remembered what had happened between them. Her eyes had widened and she had turned the most delightful shade of pink. He grinned at her, that smug feeling back again, and she hid her face. He loved that she was still shy with him after knowing him since birth.

"Hi there, darlin'. Sleep well?" he teased, hunching down to look into her face.

She smiled shyly and nodded and then she stretched. He admired her as she extended her shapely legs and bowed her body so that her breasts jutted forward. She caught him looking and blushed again and he chuckled and hugged her to him.

"Can you be any cuter, Ali, my love?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

She giggled and shook her head. Just then her stomach growled and he burst out laughing.

"I'll never underestimate your cuteness again, Ali. Even your stomach growling is cute." She scoffed at him and he got off the bed and helped her up. "I suppose I should feed you before you starve to death, huh?"

"Okay." she agreed happily and, realizing her bra was still unfastened, bashfully excused herself to use the bathroom first.

Then, holding hands, they made their way down to the kitchen. Jasper went over to look in the refrigerator while Ali hopped up on one of the stools at the counter.

"What are you hungry for, darlin'? Jasper asked, his head still in the fridge.

"I don't know." Alice answered. "Mom said there was some leftover lasagna or a couple pieces of fried chicken." she suggested.

Jasper looked at her from inside the fridge. "I can make scrambled eggs... " he offered with a cheeky grin.

She nodded. "Sounds good!" she chirped, perfectly happy for the first time in a long while.

Jasper pulled the eggs out of the refrigerator along with some ham, cheese and green peppers. He got a pan out and proceeded to whip up a sort-of scrambled egg omelet. He popped some bread in the toaster and poured them each a glass of milk. He put the eggs and toast on plates and set the plates and glasses on the counter.

When Jasper joined Alice at the counter, she smiled sweetly at him and gave him a soft kiss. Looking into his gorgeous green eyes, she said, "Thank you for cooking for me, Jas." and, at his wicked grin, blushed again.

"I love taking care of you, Ali. I did help you work up an appetite, after all." He knew he was being cocky, but he was just so damn proud of himself and he wanted to enjoy it. He watched her as she bowed her head shyly and held her hands in her lap. "Alice." he said, softly. When she looked up, he assured her. "Honey, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, okay?" She nodded, but didn't look convinced and looked down again. "We love each other and we probably know each other better than anyone. What we share is special... and natural... there is nothing bad or... dirty... about it. All right?" He bent his head to force her to look at him.

"All right, Jas." She said in a faint voice and looked up at him with big, scared eyes.

He smiled reassuringly at her, "Let's eat. We can talk some more later, okay?" She smiled and nodded, and began to eat.

While they were eating, they made small talk, but Jasper cursed himself for bringing up the idea that what he had done to her was bad or dirty. Where before she had just been shy, now she was worried and ashamed. "Damn it! Why am I so clueless?" He mentally smacked himself in the head.

After the kitchen was cleaned up again, Jasper suggested that he and Ali go swimming, so he went home to change and told Alice that he'd meet her outside. Alice went up to her room and thoughtfully sat on the bed. She was still in awe of the way Jasper had made her feel. It was thrilling, what he had done, but it was scary, too. Kind of like a roller coaster. While you were on it, it was scary but, afterward, you realized how thrilling it had been.

She now had an idea of why he was always thinking about sex, it felt really good. She knew that's why people did it, but she still didn't feel comfortable doing that kind of stuff. She hoped he didn't think that she'd want to do stuff like that every time they were together. She just wanted to spend time with him and just enjoy being together. She didn't want to use sex to get Jasper to want to be with her, like Savannah had. At least he was being nice to her today. She would enjoy it while she could, in case he started acting weird again.

She walked outside in her navy blue bikini, wrapped in a beach towel. Jasper was already sitting on the edge of the pool waiting for her. He looked up and smiled when he saw her. She smiled back and put her towel on one of the chairs.

His eyes darkened when he saw her in her suit, but he didn't comment on it and just jumped into the pool. She secretly smiled at the way he'd looked at her and got in after him. After a couple hours of swimming and playing, Alice announced that she was going to lay out in the sun. Jasper stayed in a little longer, but then got out to lay on the chair next to her. She was laying on her tummy with her head turned to the side, so he laid on the chair she was facing and she opened one eye and peeked at him.

Alice smiled when she saw Jasper lay down next to her and closed her eye again. She was so happy that they were having fun and that she didn't feel so scared of him any more. He was being his normal self and she thought that maybe she had exaggerated how mean he had actually been to her lately.

"Ali?" Jasper said cautiously. "Can we talk?"

"Oh no." Alice thought, opening her eyes again. He was laying on his back looking over at her. She sat up and looked at him expectantly. "Sure." she said, trying to sound positive.

Jasper scratched the back of his neck and looked at her apprehensively. "I... think... well... I think that... Emmett... is going to be... upset... when he gets home. He pretty much told me to... break up with you. I don't want to, Ali. I want to be with you forever... but Em is my best friend... and your brother. I don't want him to have to... choose... you know? I think... "

She looked at him incredulously. He was going to break up with her after how he had touched her earlier? She started feeling angry. Maybe now that she had let him touch her, he didn't want her any more. Maybe she wasn't sexy enough. She did look like a boy next to Savannah. She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.

"No problem." she said, trying not to let him see how hurt she was. "I understand. You're really too old for me, any way, and we'll be at different schools next year. Neither one of us should be tied down. What if one of us meets our... soul mate... or something. Then we'll be worried about hurting the other's feelings. It's probably for the best." She started to stand up and he grabbed her arm.

"Damn it, Ali! Let me finish. Geeze." he shook his head and pulled her back down on the chair. "I was just going to say that you should let me talk to Emmett about us. That's all." He looked at her intensely. "Do you really feel that way?"

She looked at him for a second, not sure what to say. "I... well... " she looked at her lap. "No." she admitted softly.

Jasper got up and moved to sit next to her. She looked over at him. "Ali, I love you. I'm absolutely sure about that. You are the prettiest, sweetest, nicest, most perfect girl in the world to me. Please don't doubt how I feel about you."

"I'm sorry." she said and gave him her sweetest smile. "I love you, too, Jas. It's just... you are so... handsome... and smart, and talented. Girls always like being around you. There are so many... really beautiful ones. What if... "

Jasper shook his head. "It's not gonna' happen. Ali, I've loved you for thirteen years. It's not gonna' change."

She smiled brightly at him and wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.

They parted and smiled at each other.

"What would you like to do now? Do you want to stay out here? Or are you ready to go inside?" Jasper asked her.

"You don't have to stay with me all day, if you don't want to, Jas. I was planning on being by myself all day, any way." she told him.

"Do you want me to leave you alone? It's okay if you do. I won't be mad... " he assured her.

"I'd like to... be with you... I just don't want you to think... you have to... " she looked at him.

He grinned in relief. "I love being with you. It's like we're playing house, or something... " he laughed. "It's kind of fun, ya' know?"

Alice grinned and nodded. "We could order a pizza and watch movies." She suggested. "Just the two of us. Or we could make dinner together... "

"Pizza sounds great. Let's get showered and changed and I'll come back and we'll order a pizza. You can pick the movie... whatever you want... even a chick flick... "

Her delighted laughter rang through the air. "I don't know, when was the last time I got to pick a movie?" His laughter joined hers. "At least, with Emmett not here, I don't have to suffer through a horror movie."

He nodded, still laughing. "Whatever movie you want... "

"It's a deal." She agreed. "I'll meet you in my living room in twenty minutes."

"Okay." Jasper gave her a quick kiss and ran to his house. Alice giggled at his enthusiasm and went inside to get showered and dressed.

Jasper came in the front door. "Ali?" he called.

"Be right down!" she called back from upstairs.

He got the phone and ordered a pizza, and then went into the kitchen to get out some plates and glasses for them. Alice came in the kitchen and Jasper smiled. She looked so cute. Her hair was still damp and she had it loose. She had on a bright pink tank top and bright pink, lime green and white sleep pants. The pants were a little too long and he could barely see her toes peeking out.

"You look adorable, Miss Cullen." he said, taking her into his arms.

"Thank you, Mr. Hale. You don't look so bad yourself." she giggled. He looked handsome, as usual. His sun-kissed blonde hair was curling up at the ends and his emerald eyes were bright with happiness. He had on a white T-shirt and red and white gym shorts. The white making his golden brown skin look even tanner and showing off his broad shoulders and muscled arms. He was just gorgeous and she felt a shiver run through her as she admired him.

He looked concerned. "You cold, darlin'?"

She shook her head. "Not really." she said.

"Well, come on. Let's see what movie we can find." He lead her into the living room and settled with her on the couch. He pulled the light throw blanket off the back and settled it around her, and picked up the remote to see what was on. They looked through the choices on their cable's movie rental channel and picked out a movie.

The doorbell rang and Alice started to get up to answer the door. Jasper stopped her. "My treat, darlin'." and he answered the door while she went into the kitchen to pour glasses of Coke and to get the plates and napkins. They got comfy on the couch and enjoyed their pizza and movie.

When they were done eating, Jasper cuddled Alice against him and stroked her arm while they watched the rest of the movie. He was in heaven. If he let himself, he could imagine that he and Ali were together in their own place and it would be like this every night. He'd finish college and he'd buy them a house with his doctor's salary and they'd get married and Ali would be his and no one could take her away, or make him give her up, ever. He sighed contently and she glanced up at him. He grinned down at her and she dimpled up at him. God, he loved her.

"Jas! Man! Wake up!" Jasper opened his eyes to see Emmett standing over him. "What the hell, man?" He gestured to him and Ali snuggled up on the couch.

"What?" Jasper asked, blinking sleepily. "We fell asleep watching a movie."

"What the fuck are you doing here at all? God damn it! You told me... you said you agreed... " Emmett sputtered angrily.

Jasper gently moved Alice over and sat up. "I know, Em. Ali and I talked and... well, we figured some stuff out... " Jasper ran his hand through his hair.

Emmett reached down and pulled Jasper up by his shirt front. "You better not have put your filthy fucking hands on my sister, Jas. I mean it!"

Jasper put his hands out. "Emmett... I didn't! We went swimming and then took a shower... " At Emmett's growl, Jasper hurriedly explained. "Me at my house, Ali here... and then we ate pizza and watched a movie. That's it."

Emmett let go of his shirt. "I thought you were going to break up with her, Jas. Damn it! Ali is too young. She's not Savannah. You can't just screw her and hand her off to someone else."

Jasper gasped. "God damn you, Emmett! I would never do that! Besides, technically, Savannah screwed and ditched _me_ for someone else."

"Okay. You got me there." Emmett rubbed his forehead. "I just can't stand the thought of... anyone... putting their hands on my baby sister. It makes me feel like puking to even... think about it." Emmett shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. He looked at Jasper again. "Give her a few years... please... "

Placing his hand on Emmett's arm he said, "Emmett. I am not going to have sex with Ali. Not for a long time, any way. I promise you."

Emmett nodded, "Okay, Jas. Just don't get pissed if I keep needing reassurance."

Jasper laughed. "No problem, Em."

Emmett smiled. "Okay, then. Well, I suppose I should get Sleeping Beauty up to her bed."

Jasper stopped him. "Let me, Em. Please?" At Emmett's nod, Jasper went to the couch and cradled Ali in his arms. He took her upstairs and tucked her lovingly into bed. Then he made sure that Jasmine had food and water and left the door cracked on his way back downstairs.

Esme sat straight up in bed with a start. Alice's screams causing her heart to pound. She rubbed a hand over her face and sighed. She was so glad that Alice had her therapy appointment today. She prayed that the doctor would be able to help her.

She got out of bed and walked down the hall to Ali's room. Emmett was already bent over her when she walked in. "Did she respond to you at all?" she asked him.

Emmett sadly shook his head. "No. Her screaming woke me up and she keeps saying, 'No' and 'Jasper'. I don't know what to do." He looked at his mom helplessly. "Should I call him?"

"Let me see what I can do, first." Esme suggested, moving over to Alice, who had stopped screaming.

Alice was locked in the darkness again. The glowing red eyes all around her. She couldn't make out the creatures around her, it was too dark, but she knew they were her family transformed into their true forms. They had adopted her to give to their son. A monster who wanted only to possess her and use her for his own selfish needs. He approached her, seeming to be haloed by golden light. He smiled sweetly at her and assured her that he wasn't there to hurt her. He lifted her chin with a finger and looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Alice." he whispered. She wanted to believe him, he was so sincere and she couldn't fight his charm. He bent to kiss her and she sighed at the pleasure. He nibbled over her jaw and down her throat. His lips felt like fire on her tender skin and she gasped at the pain, trying desperately to pull away from him.

He lifted his head, an angry expression twisting his perfect features and he gritted out, "I told you I wasn't going to hurt you."

"It burns... " she cried, shaking her head from side to side. He let out a furious growl and grabbed a handful of her hair. He pulled her hair, twisting her head to the side and stabbed his long, sharp fangs into her neck. She screamed until she couldn't physically scream any more. She slumped to the ground and the golden creature above her laughed evilly and walked away, leaving her to die.

"Alice! Wake up, right now." Carlisle called to her sternly. "It's Dad, Alice, and I want you to wake up and stop screaming."

Alice thrashed her head back and forth and kept screaming, clawing at Carlisle's arms. Esme gasped as she saw blood run down his wrist.

"Carlisle!" she sobbed. "Please, don't hurt yourself." she pleaded. He laid Ali back onto the bed and turned to Esme.

"I don't know what to do, Love." he said sadly, blinking to keep the tears from falling from his eyes. Alice continued to scream and fight whoever was tormenting her in her dream.

Esme watched her in horror. "It reminds me of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies that Emmett loves, the way she is in these nightmares."

"I know." Carlisle agreed, running his hand through his hair. He looked over at Esme. "We can't go on like this, Es. We have to do something. If the therapy doesn't work... there are places... hospitals..."

"Carlisle!" Esme gasped, breathlessly. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know, we just have to do something." Carlisle told her. "All five of us are suffering terribly. We even brought Jasper into it the other night. We have to find a solution. There are places that can help her... "

Esme looked at her husband in horror and disbelief. How could he even suggest such a thing?

They both gazed at Ali, strangely quiet on her bed now, but still moaning low in her throat, as though she were in pain.

* * *

"Mom, I don't need to see a therapist." Alice insisted. "There is nothing wrong with me." She refused to budge on the issue and Esme sighed.

"Well, Ali. All I know is that you have an appointment at 10:00 AM, and you will be there. Get out of bed and get ready, or I will take you in your pajamas." Esme told her and walked out of the room.

They arrived for Ali's appointment a little early so that Esme could fill out some paperwork. Alice was seeing a different therapist than she had seen when she had her head injury.

After signing their lives away on a thick packet of papers, they were called into the doctor's office. Alice looked around, taking in everything in the cheery room. The walls were a soft butter yellow with white trim and furniture. It was bright and airy, but comfortable and non-threatening. A tall, slim woman sat in one of the comfy-looking chairs waiting for them. She stood to greet them and introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, Esme. Alice. I am Barbara Carter. I'd like to talk to both of you first, and then I would like to talk to Alice alone, and then, to you, Esme." At Esme's nod, she continued, "Let's get started, shall we?"

Dr. Carter asked both Esme and Alice many, many questions before having Esme go into the waiting room.

"Now, Alice, is there anything you'd like to add to what your mom told me?" the doctor asked her.

Alice merely shook her head and continued to look down at her hands in her lap. The doctor asked her to tell her about her nightmares, but Alice told her that she couldn't remember them. After about twenty minutes of getting no where with Alice, the doctor asked her to trade places with her mom.

Alice sat in the waiting room feeling lonely and out of place. She played with her fingernails and bounced nervously in her chair until her mom finally came out a half hour later.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Carter." Esme said shaking the doctor's hand.

"Please, call me Barbara." the doctor told her. "I'll see you both on Thursday then." And she nodded before closing the door behind Esme.

Esme looked at Alice and shook her head in disappointment. "Come on, Ali. Let's go home."

Alice popped out of the chair and flew to the car. They didn't say much on the way home, but Esme wanted so much to ask Alice why she wouldn't cooperate with the doctor. She felt so frustrated and thought about what Carlisle had said this morning when Ali was locked in her nightmare. She would not send her baby away to some hospital. It would be a cold day in hell _and_ over her dead body.

Carlisle ran his hands over his face in frustration. He had been trying to get through to Alice over the last two days about her nightmares, but she wouldn't budge. She wouldn't tell him anything, not what they were about, if they were the same every time or if anything was bothering her. The doctor had told Esme to try to get whatever information they could out of her, but she kept saying that she didn't remember. Jackson had even tried to get her to talk, asking her if there was a reason she wouldn't tell, but she would say nothing. In desperation, they had talked to all of the kids about it, to see if Alice had discussed her dreams with any of them and, it seemed that Alice didn't discuss much of anything about herself with anyone, not even Jasper.

Ali sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them and she was rocking back and forth. Edward glanced in on her as he left his room to go over to Jas' house, and frowned when he saw her. He knocked lightly on her door frame and walked over and sat across from her on the bed.

"Ali, why won't you tell the doctor about your nightmares?" he asked. She just looked at him. "I mean it, Ali. You need to tell them what they want to know or they might send you to some hospital."

Alice's eyes opened wide in shock and her head came up off her knees. "What do you mean, 'some hospital'?"

Edward ran his hand through his unruly hair, looking worried. "I heard Mom and Dad arguing about it. No one is getting any sleep and your nightmares are getting worse. I guess Dad talked to some friend of his who recommended a place that helps kids with... problems." He looked at Alice with worried eyes. She still looked like she was in shock.

She shook her head. "I won't go. I'll run away first. No one wants me here anyway... "

"Ali, you know that's not true. We all want you, we just want you to get better... and to get some sleep."

Alice put her head back down on her knees, her eyes filling with tears. "What am I going to do, Edward?" she whispered.

"Tell them what they want to know, Ali." Edward stated, like it was so simple. "What are your dreams about?"

"It's not that simple, Edward." she told him.

He stood up to leave. "Whatever, Ali. If you don't want to help yourself, I can't do anything... "

Alice grabbed his arm. "Okay! They're... about... " Edward sat back down. "Please don't be upset, Edward." Ali pleaded, then she told him, "The dreams are about all of you. You are all, like, vampires, or something. You have red eyes and... evil faces. You chase me and... when I am caught... you give me to... Jasper."

Edward's eyes had gotten wider as she talked. "Why to Jasper?"

"He's some special... I don't know, vampire, or whatever, and I was adopted to give to him. He looks normal, but then he gets... red eyes and... and... fangs." She looked up at Edward with sad, scared eyes. "He kills me, Edward. Every time."

"Wow." Edward whispers, his hand through his hair again. "That's pretty... intense. No wonder you scream in your sleep. Do you have any idea... why?"

Ali shook her head. "All I know is that I'm some kind of sacrifice and he... drinks my... blood. It's not always exactly the same, but the outcome is. I always die... "

"Is Jas the one that kills you... ?" Edward asked.

Alice nodded slowly. "Every time."

Edward looked at Alice with love and sympathy. "I am so sorry, Ali. Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe you can sleep in my room. That might help... " he offered.

Alice looked hopeful. "That might work, thank you." She gave him a hug and they smiled at each other.

Edward wanted to go right to his mom and dad and tell them about Ali's dreams, but he didn't want to betray her confidence until they talked about it some more. He figured she felt as though she was protecting them. She knew they would feel bad about their roles in her nightmare, and of course, Dad would overanalyze it to death. Then there was Jasper. He would not be happy to know that he killed her in her dreams.

"Think about talking to Mom and Dad about this, Ali. Okay?" As she took a breath to protest, he added. "Or, at least, tell your doctor. She has to observe patient privacy and you can tell her that you don't want Mom and Dad to know."

"Edward! You are brilliant!" She hugged him again. "I'll make her swear that she won't tell them."

Alice told the doctor all she wanted to know, but told her that she did not want her to tell her parents the details.

"Why do you think your dream is about all of the people you love ganging up on you, Ali?" the doctor asked her.

"I don't know... I've thought about it... a lot, but I don't know." Alice told her honestly.

"Did anything happen to make you think they were going against you... in real life, I mean." the doctor continued.

Alice looked worried. "You can tell me, Alice. I will not tell anyone as long as you don't want me to." Dr. Carter told her.

Alice worried her lip between her teeth. "Well... I've always had nightmares... since I was little. Any time I'd watch a scary movie, or am in the dark, I'd usually have a bad dream. These aren't like that. I... well... sometimes I... "

Alice looked lost and scared, and the doctor tried a different approach. "What if you told me a story about a character based on what you think? Would that make it easier?"

Alice shrugged. "Well, I could try... Um... a baby girl was... adopted... and she was really happy and felt... loved. Then her brother... hated her... because his best friend was nice to her and... cared about her. When she started school, the other kids bullied her and no one... helped her. She had no friends and even her brothers wouldn't let her play with them. She was always lonely. Her parents were always busy and she had no one. She wondered why they even... adopted her. She finally made a friend at school, but her brothers stole him from her. Then, one day, her brothers' best friend... kissed her... and told her he loved her. She was really happy because she had... loved him... all her life. Then he had a... relationship... with another girl... and nothing was the same."

Alice put her head down and took a deep breath. It felt good to get all of that out, but she felt guilty ratting out her family.

"So... would you say that... everyone you care about has let you down... in one way, or another?" Dr. Carter asked.

Alice looked up at her, her face so vulnerable that Barbara Carter felt her own heart clench.

"I... don't know... maybe... " Alice whispered.

"What about your brothers' best friend? Do you still see him? Still care about him?"

Alice looked uncertain. "Um... yes. He lives next door and... our families are... close. He... takes care of me."

"He takes care of you... how?" Dr. Carter asked.

"Well... he's watched over me from my first day... He worried all the time that I would get hurt or sick, and he even scolded my brothers if they did something that could hurt me. When I started school, he would stick up for me... sometimes... when the other kids would pick on me." Alice told her.

"Why did they pick on you, Alice?" The doctor wanted to know. "Do you know?"

Alice shrugged. "I guess because I was so much smaller than everyone else. I was also adopted, so that made me... different, too. They said I was... weird."

"Hmmmm... you've been through a lot in your short life, huh?" The doctor wanted to see if she agreed.

"Not really... I mean, I have a nice house to live in and a lot of stuff... my parents love me... I know they do... I just always feel like the... outsider... " Alice looked down at her hands. "I appreciate all they've done for me, but it's not... fair that... " Alice halted, fear in her eyes.

"What's not fair, Alice?" the doctor was hanging on her every word.

"That they don't protect me like they should... " Alice finally blurted out.

"Does that make you angry?" The doctor wanted to know.

"Kind of... they didn't protect me from the bullies at school... and they didn't protect me from Jasper... Oh!" she put her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide.

"Who's Jasper, Alice?" In the face of Ali's silence, she prodded. "What did he do?" The doctor knew who Jasper was as she had asked Esme to tell her the names of everyone that was around Alice on a regular basis.

"He's the person who... looks out for me. My brothers' best friend. He loves me." she stated.

"He's your brother's friend?" Dr. Carter wanted a more detailed answer.

"He is like a brother himself, at least he used to be... now... he's... my boyfriend... but he is still like a brother... to my brothers." Alice tried to make it simple, but it was getting more and more turned around in her mind.

"Does it bother you that your relationship has changed? That he's not like a brother any more?" She wanted to know, still pushing for more detail.

"I don't know... I thought I could trust him, but he's been so... different, lately... he's not... himself."

"In what way, Ali?" Still with the prodding.

"Well... he says... he loves me, but he sometimes treats me... bad." Alice admitted.

"Bad?" the doctor frowned. "In what way?"

"Well, he's always... scolding me and telling me I'm... too young. My brothers have always treated me like a baby, but he never did. He... acts... differently now. Not like he used to... " Alice worried her lip, she didn't want the doctor to think badly of Jasper. "It's like he's mad at me... like he doesn't want to... like me... but he can't stop... "

"What about physically? Has he ever hit you?" the doctor wanted to know.

"Oh, no. Never. No one has ever hit me." Alice assured her.

"What about... sexually." Dr. Carter pushed.

Alice blushed and looked guilty. "Well, he kisses me and... we have... touched... but nothing more."

The doctor looked concerned. "Does Jasper... pressure you to do more?"

Alice looked thoughtful. "Not really. He's gotten a little... carried away... but he is sweet and doesn't want to... rush things." She smiled affectionately. "He's really... thoughtful... usually."

The doctor shifted in her chair, Alice looked exhausted. "Would you like something to drink, Alice?" she asked.

Ali shook her head. "No, thank you."

The doctor looked at her intently and Alice looked down at her hands. "Alice?" Ali looked up. "I am very happy that you decided to share your concerns with me. If we keep communicating, the way we did today, I think I can help you stop the nightmares. Does that sound good to you?"

Alice smiled, "That sounds great. My family is tired of me... "

The doctor looked expectant, waiting for Alice to finish, but she didn't say anything else. "Um... Your family is tired of you? Tired of you... in what way?" she prompted.

Alice stated. "Tired of me. Waking them up. Being a... problem. They want to... put me somewhere... like a hospital. But if I can stop the nightmares... my brother says they... won't."

"Your brother told you they were going to put you in a hospital?" Dr. Carter gasped.

Alice bit her lip. "Uh-oh!" she thought. Now she was going to get Edward in trouble. Why couldn't she keep her big mouth shut? "Um... he was trying to... warn me... so I would cooperate. So I would tell you... about my dreams."

The doctor looked pacified, but Alice knew this wasn't over.

"Oh. Well, that was... helpful of him. Wasn't it?" the doctor smiled encouragingly, but Alice still felt ensnared.

The car ride home was uneventful. Esme glanced worriedly at Ali but didn't say anything. The doctor had filled her in on some of the things that Ali had told her, but she said that Alice had asked that the doctor not tell them certain things. All she would say is that Alice felt that she was protecting them. She had told Esme that Alice had been told about Carlisle mentioning a hospital, though, and Esme worried about how Alice was feeling, knowing that.

When they arrived home, Alice went straight to her room and didn't want to come down, not even for dinner.

Alice laid on her bed looking up at the ceiling, Jasmine napping by her side, when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in." she said, softly, sitting up.

Carlisle opened the door with a soft smile. "Hi, Angel. I heard your appointment today went really well."

Alice gave him a little smile but wouldn't look him in the eyes. He sat down on the edge of her bed and picked up her hand. "Ali... you know I love you. You are my daughter. Not my adopted daughter... my daughter." He scrubbed at his face with his hand. "I would never... send you away... never. I only suggested having you go to a hospital... for a little while... as a.. a... way to help you... if your therapy didn't. I never meant for you to... hear... I never meant for you to go... I was just... trying to come up with... ideas... I was tired... " He looked at her helplessly. "Alice, you don't always have to be... silent. It's okay to scream and complain... and yell at people. It's okay to be mad at us. We'll still love you."

Alice looked at her dad with big, luminous eyes. She wondered how much the doctor had told her mom. She felt betrayed. "I'm not... mad at you, Daddy." she said.

He looked skeptical. "Well, I would be if I were you, Ali. Being told that you're going to be shipped off to a hospital if you don't stop waking up your family in the middle of the night? Sounds pretty shitty to me."

Ali looked shocked, but then she giggled. She had hardly ever heard her dad talk that way before.

"I'm so sorry you were told that, Ali." He looked so upset that Ali put her hand on his cheek. He leaned into it and smiled tenderly. "I only want to help you, honey. Losing sleep is a small price to pay, but seeing you suffer while I stand by helplessly, is... unbearable. We would do... anything... to help you, just like we would for Emmett or Edward... or for any of the Hales... you are just as important as any of us, Ali. Please let us help you. Please talk to us. Tell us what you need. Cooperate with the doctor. We all just want you to be happy. Please, Angel?"

"Okay, Daddy. I will." She smiled, but then looked worried again. "Did the doctor tell you about my... nightmares?"

Carlisle shook his head. "She said that you didn't want us to know. You can tell us... if you want. We will not be mad at you, Ali, or hurt, by your dream. Maybe it would help if you did tell us, but you don't have to." He stood up and leaned over to kiss her on her forehead. "I leave it up to you, my angel." He sighed heavily, but smiled lovingly at her. "Your mom said to tell you that she expects you at dinner. I'll let you know when it's ready."

"All right, Daddy." she looked thoughtful. "How about if I go down and offer to help her?"

Carlisle grinned, "I think she would like that very much."


	49. Express Yourself

49.

Express Yourself

Ali lay in her bed thinking about her day. She had gone to her therapist appointment and it had turned out pretty well. Edward had told her to tell the doctor what she wanted to know, but ask her not to tell their parents. Now she could tell her parents when she was ready, but still get help from the doctor. She felt relieved that she didn't have to tell them, if she didn't want to.

Alice turned over onto her side and ran her hand over Jasmine's soft fur. She was such a snuggly kitten and she felt less lonely with Jasmine here. Even when she left her bedroom door open, Jasmine knew this was her room. Her mom wanted her to move Jasmine's litter box and food bowls out of her room now that the kitten was bigger and used to the house, but she hadn't done it yet. She liked having her to herself.

Ali felt her eyes grow heavy and prayed that she wouldn't have a nightmare tonight. She really wanted to go with to the concert this weekend and her parents said she could go if she got some sleep. They were going to the county fair in Appleton, and that's where the woman named Mary Brandon lived. She had been mistaken for her at Emmett's baseball tournament, and she really wanted to check her out. She didn't know if she was her birth mom, or not, but she had to start somewhere.

Just as her eyes closed, Ali heard her phone buzz. She sighed and reached over to get it off of her nightstand. It was a text from Jasper.

_Ali,_

_I need to talk to you. _

_It's important. _

_Jas _

"What the heck?" thought Alice. She had just seen him at dinner.

_U can call me._

Jasper text her back almost immediately.

_In person. Outside._

Alice was tempted to tell him to wait until tomorrow since she was already in bed, but he said it was important and, since he felt he needed to see her in person, she figured she better go.

_All right. I'll meet you by the pool._

She got up to get her flip flops out of her closet and her phone buzzed again.

_No. Behind my garage. Now. _

Her eyebrows flew up. Was he mad? She started to bite her lip, but then thought, "No, I'm not going to let him be mean to me any more."

_B there in a sec._

She slipped on her shoes and went quietly down the stairs and out the back door. She walked briskly across the yard and could make out Jasper standing behind his house in the fading light.

As she approached, he grabbed her arm and hauled her into the alcove. She glared at him as he pushed her back against the wall.

"Jasper! Stop pushing... " she complained.

"Ali, why didn't you tell me about your nightmares?" he growled. "Damn it! You make me so mad... "

"Well, you know what, Jasper? You make me mad, too!" Alice cried. "You are mean, and bossy. I don't like it. I am not a little kid. I don't like you pushing me around, or telling me what to do all the time. Who do you think you are?" She stood there, hands on her hips, glaring at him and trying to catch her breath.

He looked at her in surprise, his mouth hanging open. Then his face transformed and he grinned at her, his eyes sparkling. "Ali... " he breathed. "You just told me off." She continued to glare at him. "You haven't done that since we were little." His grin changed to a leer and his eyes darkened. "God... that is really hot."

He took a step toward her and, though he saw a flicker in her eyes, she held her ground. "You are not going to manhandle me, Jasper Hale. If I want to be... mauled... I'll let you know." His eyes were dark and glittering and he just stared at her. "Now, what did you want to know about my nightmares?"

She waited patiently for him to re-focus. "Oh... I want to know why you didn't tell me about your nightmares, Ali? Why didn't you tell me that I... kill you? Why don't you tell me about anything? You never talk to me about... what you think, or feel, or want... why? Don't you trust me?"

She shrugged like it was no big deal. "I don't know. No one's ever asked me. Everyone is always too busy telling me what to do. They don't care how I feel or what I want."

He put his hand under her chin and lifted it so he could see into her eyes. "That's how you feel? That no one cares enough to ask... ? I mean... no one does ask... do they?" He ran his hand through his hair and looked up to the sky. "God, Ali..." he looked back down at her and held her gently by her arms. "I am so sorry, Angel. I never realized... I don't think any of us did... we were always so busy taking care of you, we never really took the time... " He looked at her seriously. "Don't you and Rose... talk?" he asked.

"Occasionally, but her and Emmett are almost always gone or busy. Now that she's done with her car, I can't ever track her down. Brent is always with Jessica, so I can't really confide in him any more, either." Ali sighed. "The only person who talked to me about my nightmares, believe it or not, was Edward. He heard my parents talking about sending me to a hospital."

Jasper gasped. "Ali... they wouldn't do that! I wouldn't let them. Neither would my dad. You can come and stay with us... my dad will help you. I know he will. He loves you."

"Calm down, Jas." Ali said, placing her hand on his arm as he ran his hand through his hair over and over. "It was a... misunderstanding. All I'm saying is, part of the reason I didn't tell anyone, is because I didn't want to hurt any of you. How do you feel knowing that that you kill me every night in my dreams?"

He looked mad. "Like shit. Why am I the bad guy? I should be the... I don't know... the hero? Right? Haven't I always looked out for you?"

"Jasper... " Ali chuckled softly. "I can't help what I dream. It's not anything against you, I just feel... threatened or unsure of you sometimes, maybe it's coming out in my dreams. I don't know... maybe I should get a book on interpreting dreams."

"What did your doctor say?" Jasper asked anxiously.

Ali's eyes widened. "You know about that, too?" At his nod, she scowled. "God damn, Edward! He has a big mouth."

Jasper bent down to make her look at him. "Why didn't you want me to know, darlin'? I would never tell anyone or make fun of you..." he looked hurt and sad.

"Jasper... it's not like that." she sighed. "I just wanted to tell everyone in my own time. I only told Edward because he came to my room and asked me. He must've come right over and told you, didn't he?"

Jasper suddenly looked guilty. "Uh... we had a... meeting." he said softly.

"What!" Ali shouted.

"Shhhhhhhhhh! Ali... Edward came over to... talk to me. Emmett and Rose heard us and wanted to know what was going on... it just went from there. We never meant to... discuss you without you there... "

"Yes, you did!" Alice accused. "You've done it all my life. Talking about me like I'm too stupid to take care of myself. I am perfectly capable, Jasper."

"Ali, you're still afraid of the dark... " he said gently.

"A lot of people are, Jasper Hale. That doesn't make them helpless... babies!" Ali was furious again. "It's not the dark, exactly, it's what could be in the dark, or that I can't see where I'm going, like in the haunted house at the fair. I just kind of... panic."

Jasper watched her face as she talked. She was getting so animated, it was almost like when she was little. She would boss him around all the time and Edward would get so mad. It had stopped about the time she had started school and the other kids had called her names and said that she was weird. She never told them that the other kids were mean to her and had hurt her, but she became so unsure of herself, even at home, and they all knew something was wrong. By the time they found out what it was, she acted afraid of her own shadow.

She was staring at him. "Um... do you know... why... why I kill you, I mean, in your dream?" He asked. He wanted to know why it was him and not Edward... or Emmett... "I mean... why is it me? What happens... what do I do? Edward didn't say."

Alice rolled her eyes and snorted. "You mean he actually left something for me to tell you? Wow. So kind of him."

"Ali... " Jasper reprimanded her. "He's concerned."

She gave him a sheepish look. "I know." She sighed. She slid down the wall so she was sitting in the grass, and Jasper joined her. "In my... dream... everyone is a vampire, or something like that, with glowing red eyes. It's really dark and I can't see where I'm going, but they're all chasing me, even our parents. They catch me and bring me to you. You are... really handsome and smiling, with a weird... golden light around you, almost like a halo."

Jasper grinned. "So I'm like an angel?" Ali made a tsking sound. "Sorry..." Jasper apologized, but kept grinning.

"Anyway... " Ali continued. "You are really nice at first, like you're going to save me from them, but then your eyes turn red, too, and you get... fangs." Alice shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. She whispered, "Then you... bite me and it... hurts really bad. I scream and scream, but you drink my blood until... you kill me. "

She heard him suck in a big breath and she sat there looking at her legs. "I'm so sorry, Ali." he whispered.

Alice looked up at him and smiled. "It's a dream, Jas. You didn't do anything wrong."

With a guilty look on his face, he said, "Yes, I did. I've treated you bad ever since I started having... different feelings for you. I was confused... and angry. Like it was somehow your fault. I still feel guilty... almost like I'm molesting my little sister, or something." He gave her a helpless look. "It's right, but yet, it seems wrong. You know?"

"I understand, but I don't feel that way." Alice assured him. "I've never felt you were my brother. I've always felt... connected to you somehow. I always knew I could come to you and you would... help me, or whatever. You've always been... special to me."

He smiled at her. "Then, why am I the bad guy?"

She made a huffing noise and looked toward the sky. "Jasper... you're all bad... they all give me to you."

His eyes got wide. "That's it!" he looked excited.

"What?" Alice watched him closely.

"Your nightmare... you feel like everyone is giving you to me... because they all approve... well, except Emmett... and you feel you have no choice. You feel pressure to... be with me." He had a proud look on his face. "Remember how my dad used to always tease us about getting married? I bet that's it, Ali!" Then his face fell. "Do you feel pressured to be with me, Ali?"

She looked worried. "Well... sometimes... especially when you're... mean to me... and I don't know why... "

He took her hand. "Sorry... I should just ask you... talk to you... huh?"

Alice nodded. "Like at Wilmot... " Jasper winced and looked ashamed. "You spent all that time talking to those two... girls... and then some guys ask me if they can buy one of your band shirts, and you... freak out. I still don't understand... " She shook her head, looking at her legs again.

"That's what they were talking to you about? Buying a band shirt?" Jasper asked her.

She looked up at him and nodded. "What did you think they were talking to me about?"

"Well, obviously, I thought they were hitting on you." Jasper pointed out.

"Yeah, right." Alice laughed. "Did you see some of the girls walking around that place?" she laughed again. "Yeah, of course you did! You had two of them hanging all over you." She turned her head to look down at her legs again. "I think those girls would've done... anything... you wanted... and you know it, too."

Jasper nodded his head. "Yeah, well I went with you, didn't I?"

"Real enthusiastic, there, Jasper." Alice laughed again. "You treated me like crap afterward." Her eyes got wide. "That's why, isn't it? You wanted to go with them... but you couldn't... cuz I was there." He shook his head and opened his mouth to say something, but she nodded and got to her feet. "It's true! You wanted to go with them... and you took it out on me! You... you... jerk!"

He jumped to his feet and grabbed her arms. "Ali! No... I didn't... I didn't want to go with them... I wanted you to be... jealous. But you just stood there... waiting patiently... like you didn't even care. Then I look over and you're talking to two guys! It just showed me that you could replace me so easily."

"I stood there, in the hot sun, waiting so you could talk to... fans... like an idiot. I was upset that you were taking so long... like I wasn't even there. I was just about to go find Emmett, then those guys asked me about the shirts... "

"I just wanted a sign that you really... cared, Ali." he looked deep in her eyes.

"Letting you... touch me... and... and... look at me... isn't enough?" she cried.

"It is... it is... but, back then, you seemed... just... I don't know... " He ran his hands through his hair. "Like you were just... cooperating... ?"

"I love you. You're... everything... but it's... scary. I worry... what if... I've never had to be... without you." She looked at him desperately with big, vulnerable eyes.

He grabbed her hands in his and kissed them. "You don't have to be. Ever. We'll get married, buy a house... it'll be okay... you'll see."

She wrapped her arms around him and lay her head against his chest. "Okay, Jasper... I love you."

He kissed the top of her head, his arms holding her close. "I love you, too, Ali." But his eyes held a bit of worry. What if he couldn't make her happy? What if he couldn't be... the good guy?

Alice slept the whole night through and woke up with a stiff neck from not moving for so long. She stretched her neck and worked it around trying to loosen it up some. She smiled as she thought about her and Jasper's talk last night. They had gotten so much settled and she felt confident that he was as committed as she was. She went to the bathroom and then made her way downstairs. It was Friday and her mom was going to be home all day. She had told Ali that they would spend the whole day together and Alice couldn't wait.

"Mornin', Mom." Ali grinned at her.

Esme grabbed her into a big hug. "Mornin', Sunshine." She smiled into her face and brushed back her hair. "Sleep good?" she asked.

Ali nodded. "Not one bad dream." They hugged again and smiled at each other.

Carlisle walked into the room. "Good morning, Angel. How'd you sleep?" he said with a big smile.

"Good, Dad. How about you?" Ali answered.

"Like a rock!" he said, enthusiastically.

Alice looked worried. "Dad, I really am sorry that I... wake up the whole house when I have a nightmare. I don't mean to..."

Carlisle walked over and hugged her. "We know, Ali. No one blames you. We just want you to get better." He let her go and changed the subject. "So, you're all going to Appleton overnight, huh?"

Alice looked guilty for a second, "Uh... yeah... You're working?"

Carlisle looked disappointed, "Yeah... I would really like to go, but I'm promised at the hospital. Sorry, sweetie. Lynnette and Jackson are going, though, aren't they?" He asked looking at Esme for confirmation.

"Yes, Jax is driving and Lynnette is going with. Emmett is driving my car and they are all staying at a hotel overnight." Esme said, looking at Alice proudly. "Alice made all of the arrangements. She's turned into quite the little band promoter, huh, Carlisle?"

He smiled at her proudly, too. "She sure has. Ali, I am really proud of you. You are making a name for the band in Wisconsin. I don't know that any of us could've done such a good job. They owe you a lot, Angel."

Alice gave them both a huge smile. She was so pleased that they thought she was good at something. It made her feel special to be a part of the band, but to be doing something that made her parents proud, made her feel even better. She started to worry that maybe she shouldn't be looking for her birth mom, after all. If they found out, would they be hurt? She didn't want to hurt them for anything.

"They don't owe me, Daddy. I'm glad to be helping." She giggled. "They could name a song after me, though."

Her dad laughed and ruffled her hair. "Sounds good to me." Then his face became serious. "Ali, I don't want to spoil your good mood, but I would like to talk more about what Barbara Carter and you talked about when you get back from Appleton. I think it's important."

She didn't look upset, which he saw as a good sign. "All right, Daddy. Edward told all of the kids about my nightmares already any way. I guess it's only fair that I tell you and Mom, too."

"You realize that we aren't going to be upset, no matter what you tell us?" Alice nodded at his question. "We also need to talk about how you feel as part of this family."

Alice looked outraged. "What did she tell you? She promised that she would keep what I told her confidential. That's not fair!"

Carlisle and Esme both stared at her. "What?" She asked them. "Don't I have the right to be angry that she stuff she wasn't supposed to?"

Esme's eyes sparkled as she answered. "Of course you have the right to be upset, Ali. You have the same rights as everyone else."

Carlisle finally got over his shock at Ali's outburst. "Alice Anelle Cullen, that is the first time I have seen you express your anger in... ages. Good for you! And, no, she didn't break your confidence. She just told your mom that we should encourage you to share with us how you feel as part of this family. I'm guessing that it's not good, or you wouldn't be so upset, huh?"

Alice looked a little ashamed, but then she grinned. Esme and Carlisle laughed, Carlisle hugging her to him again. "You are a delight, Angel. Any way, we will... schedule a... meeting? A chat? For when you get back. Just you, me and Mom, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." She hugged him back and he said his goodbyes before heading off to the hospital.

"So, Ali, what would you like to do today? Still feel like lunch and a movie? Or do you want to go shopping? Whatever you want." Esme told her.

"Lunch and a movie sounds good, Mom." Alice said. "Does that sound good to you?"

They agreed and Ali headed back upstairs to get ready.

Esme and Alice were laughing as they left the theater. They had really enjoyed the movie, a romantic comedy, and had even shared a huge popcorn. Esme reached over and took Ali's hand in hers.

"I had a great time today, Ali. I'm so sorry we don't do it more often, honey." She looked ashamed. "I really don't mean to neglect you. I just get so wrapped up in my volunteer work sometimes. I guess I feel guilty. We have so much, and most of the people I help don't have much at all. I suppose I feel like they need me more than you guys do. I just didn't realize how wrong I was."

Alice squeezed her mom's hand. "It's okay, Mom. I know you just get busy. It's not like I'm neglected, I just get lonely sometimes." Alice smiled at her. "Maybe I'll make more friends this year."

"Well, regardless, I am going to make more time for you. Even if I have to schedule it, all right?" She gave Alice a concerned look.

"All right. I'll remind you, too." Alice agreed. "Even if we just make cookies together."

Esme grinned and squeezed her hand again. "Sounds good, Angel."

They talked about all kinds of things on the way home and decided to cook out so they could swim together when they got home. Esme couldn't remember the last time she swam with the kids.

They pulled into the driveway and saw Lynnette pulling into her driveway, as well. Lynnette waved and walked over.

"Hey, girls!" She called, walking across the yard. "Whatcha' up to?"

"Hi Lynn. We just got back from the movies and are going for a swim." Esme told her.

"Wonderful. Sounds fun! Mind if I join you? I haven't swam at all this year." Lynnette asked.

"That would be great, Ms. Lynnette!" Ali told her. "Let's meet at the pool once we have our suits on."

"All right, then." Lynnette said enthusiastically. "I'll see you out there." She started leaving, but turned back. "Oh! Esme, I've got a bunch of hamburger patties frozen. Why don't we cook out afterward? I think Jax said that both of the guys will be home later, too."

Esme grinned. "That would be perfect. It's been so long since we were able to get together like that."

They all went to get ready, Ali smiling happily and skipping to her room.

Alice went out to the pool and saw that Jasper and Edward were already out there. She felt a moment of disappointment that she wouldn't have the Moms to herself, but was happy to see the boys, too.

"Hi Ali! How was the movie?" Edward called and waved. Jasper's head whipped around and he jumped up to walk over to her.

"Hi, darlin'." he said softly, taking her hands. "Did you have fun with your mom?"

Ali nodded and Jasper bent forward to kiss her. She felt a thrill go through her when his lips touched hers and Jasper pulled away slightly to look in her eyes. He had a knowing look on his face and Alice blushed. His eyes darkened and he licked his lips.

"Ali... " he breathed.

"Jas... our moms are coming out... " Alice told him. "Stop."

He looked disappointed, then grinned. "Later?" He suggested.

Alice grinned and shook her head. "You're terrible, you know that?"

He wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe I just need practice."

Ali giggled and smacked his arm. He grabbed her up over his shoulder and ran over to the pool.

Alice screamed. "Jasper Logan! Don't you dare!"

Edward laughed as Jasper skid to a stop and acted like he was going to throw Ali in. She had her arms wrapped around his neck in a death grip.

"If I go in, you go, too." She promised.

Jasper laughed. "Yeah... whatever you say, Gnat."

Alice punched him in the back. "I am bigger than a gnat, butt head."

Edward cracked up watching them trade insults. Finally, Jasper set Alice down. She kicked him in the shin and ran. Of course he ran after her and scooped her up again. Alice was giggling helplessly as he kept swinging her toward the pool.

"Please... Jasper... my favorite person in the whole world... don't throw me in... " She gasped for breath trying to stop giggling. Jasper looked down at her with affection, smiling. He was so glad to see her happy. He kissed her on the nose and set her down.

Lynnette came out the back door of her their house, smiling. She had watched the two 'love-birds', as Jackson called them, through the window and was personally happy that they had discovered each other already. She had known for years that there was more to their relationship than siblings, and so had Jackson, for that matter. He had teased Jasper relentlessly about him and Ali, but he admitted to being a little shocked that they figured out their feelings so young. Lynnette was secretly glad. She had hated seeing Jas with Savannah. It broke her heart to think that he might find another girl, especially when it was so obvious that Ali was crazy about him. They were so perfect for each other. She knew it would be hard, they had all of high school and college to get through, but she knew it would be worth it for them.

She reached the pool. The three kids were swimming and splashing each other. She heard Esme come outside and turned to greet her as she came across the yard.

"It seems we have boys in the pool, Es." she told her with a smile.

"So I see." Esme grinned at her. "Hey guys!" she called and the boys greeted her and Lynnette.

"Are you gonna' swim with us, Mom?" Edward asked. AT her nod, he asked. "Ms. Lynnette, you, too?"

He and Jasper both cheered when she nodded. Both ladies grinned and got into the pool.

They played in the pool, laughing and splashing, and Alice knew she couldn't be any happier than she was right now. Both her moms, her brother, and her love, all having fun together. She felt so content. She wished she had opened up about her feelings sooner. She guessed seeing a therapist wasn't so bad, after all.

A couple hours later, Esme and Lynnette decided to start making dinner. The kids offered to help, but their moms told them to enjoy the pool. Edward got out to lay in the sun for a while and Jasper pulled Ali onto his back. She hung on around his neck and he swam with her on his back. After a few minutes, he looked back at her.

"What?" she asked, smiling.

He gave her a wicked grin. "You're so hot."

She blushed. "Thank you, but you've seen me in my bikini before."

"I don't mean that you look hot... well, you do, but I mean, you are so hot... on my back." He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

She turned beet red and tried to get off of him. He held her tightly and laughed.

"Jasper, you are way too naughty." she whispered in his ear.

"Ali, you don't even know how naughty I can be." He pulled her around in front of him and backed her into the corner. Her eyes got wide when she felt him against her, but then she grinned.

She pulled him closer against her, his eyes widening this time, and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Maybe you're not the only one who can be naughty."

He groaned and put his forehead against hers. "You are nothing but a tease, Ali, darlin'. You're gonna' be the death of me."

They both heard someone clear their throat and looked up at Edward standing on the pool edge.

"Could you two cool it before you get the pool to boiling?" He asked them, shaking his head. "We'll be able to cook lobsters in there pretty soon."

Alice giggled, embarrassed, but happy, and Jasper just groaned.

Carlisle and Jackson came home within minutes of each other. Esme and Lynnette had the burgers done and were setting the patio tables when they came outside.

"All right!" Jackson exclaimed. "A family cookout. Perfect."

The women smiled at them and greeted their husbands with a kiss. "We were so glad you both could be home for a change." Esme said. "We thought we'd celebrate."

Alice came outside carrying a bowl of pasta salad, followed by Edward carrying a bowl of fruit. "Hi Daddy!" Ali called to her dad. She put the bowl on the table and went over to give him a kiss. She gave Jackson a kiss, as well, and he ruffled her hair.

"I heard that your therapy appointment went well yesterday, huh?" he asked her.

Alice looked down, and he lifted her head with a finger under her chin. "Ali, you know there's nothing to be embarrassed about, darlin'. Seeing a psychiatrist is no different than seeing any other kind of doctor. They're there to help us, just like a cardiologist or a surgeon."

"I know, Mr. Jackson, it's just... kind of embarrassing to talk about your... feelings and dreams." she told him.

"I know, punkin', but I heard you did great." He smiled affectionately at her and gave her a big hug. "You know that I am always available to you if you ever need someone to talk to, right?"

Alice nodded and smiled at him. "I know. Thank you." She hugged him, again. "Love you, Mr. Jackson."

"Love you, too, Miss Ali." He let go of her and grinned. "Now, where is Lover Boy? I can't believe he's not right in your shadow."

Alice blushed. "Mr. Jackson!"

Jackson burst out laughing. He loved to make her blush, and he loved aggravating Jasper even more. Now that he and Ali were an 'item', he couldn't get as much of a rise out of Jas, but he still tried.

Jasper came walking across the yard and grinned when he saw his dad. "Dad!" he came over and hugged him.

"Hey, son. I just asked Ali where you were." He couldn't resist. "I was shocked that you weren't in her shadow. I didn't think you left her side unless you were pried away."

Jasper blushed. "Dad... " Then he gave him a wicked smile and moved to put his arm around Ali. "Would you leave her side, if you were me?"

Ali blushed deep scarlet and Jackson put his head back and laughed. The kid was starting to get cocky. He liked it.

After dinner, everyone helped clean up and Jasper asked Ali if she wanted to go for a walk. They started out for the park, hand in hand, and Emmett watched them walk away with worry in his eyes.

"Em, what's on your mind?" Rosalie asked him, rubbing his arm.

Emmett looked at her. "I don't want to fight, Rose." he told her.

"Oh. Jas and Ali... " she said, knowingly.

"I can't help worrying, Rose. I know how I feel and, if you weren't strong enough for both of us, I would've... you know... talked you into going all the way by now. Ali is so... agreeable... especially when it comes to Jas. I just... worry."

"You know what, Emmett? If they are going to do anything, they are going to do it." Rosalie told him. "There is nothing you can do about it. You can't watch them all the time. All you can do is trust Jas and remind him of his responsibility from time to time. He loves Ali, he's not going to hurt her."

"Okay, Rose. You're probably right. It just... drives me crazy... she is so... vulnerable." Emmett ran his hand over his face and groaned.

Rose grabbed his hand and forced him to look at her. "Ali is a lot stronger than you give her credit for, Em. She knows how to handle Jas, if she really wants to. He thinks he's in charge, but you'd be surprised how fast things'll change if she wants them to."

Emmett took Rose in his arms. "Kind of like us?" he grinned.

Rose laughed and hugged him hard. "Emmett, you have never been in charge and you know it." They both laughed, but they both secretly hoped that Rosalie was right.

Jasper was lost in his thoughts as he and Ali strolled down the street holding hands. He wanted to touch Ali so bad that he could think of nothing else. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was smiling and looking around at birds and some kids and a dog. He smiled, she was so easily pleased. It was just one of many things he loved about her. She found pleasure in just about everything.

She looked over at him and he turned his head to meet her eyes. "Where do you want to go, Jas?" she asked him.

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted to be alone with you. We can walk around the block for all I care."

"Want to go to the park?" Ali asked. "We could swing... or just walk around the pond."

Jasper smiled. "All right."

They reached the park and walked around the pond, watching the ducks swim and dive for food. There was a man with a small girl feeding the ducks and Ali giggled at how cute the little girl was. She would throw a piece of bread and then run back to her dad when the ducks came forward.

Jasper smiled watching Ali. She looked up at him and grinned and he squeezed her hand. He thought about how tiny she looked next to him. He looked at the little girl again. Ali wasn't much bigger than her, Jasper thought. He wondered if she would get any taller. She was only thirteen, so he figured she might grow some more. He loved her being small, but it worried him that he was so much bigger than her.

He looked down when he heard Ali gasp. She was staring at something, so he looked over and saw a swan swimming in the pond with some babies following her.

"Isn't she beautiful, Jas?" Ali asked in awe.

"Yeah, she is. Her babies are pretty cute. I don't think I've ever seen swan babies." Jas answered her.

"Me, neither." Ali said. "Except in the story book, The Ugly Duckling." Alice giggled and Jasper shook his head. She was being so silly today. He just loved when she was happy and silly. He squeezed her hand again and led her over to the swings.

Jasper pushed Alice on the swing for awhile and it started to get dark. They were alone at the park now and he figured they better head home. "Ali, we better get going. It's getting dark." He stopped the swing and helped her off.

Alice bit her lip as Jasper helped her off the swing, she felt daring and wanted to spend more time with Jasper. He took her hand and started to lead her toward home. They passed some picnic tables and Ali stopped. Jas looked at her with a quirked brow.

"I... I want to... sit on the picnic table for a little bit." she told him.

"Okay..." They walked over and sat on the top of the table. Alice laid on her back and looked up at the sky. Jasper looked at her wondering what she was up to.

Alice looked at Jasper and patted the table next to her. "Want to look at the stars with me, Jas?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Why not." he said and laid down next to her. They lay there looking at the sky as it got darker and the stars started to show up. "What are you thinking about, love?" Jasper asked, gazing at her profile.

Alice looked at him and rolled toward him onto her side. "I was thinking... about how I was going to get you to... kiss me." she admitted, her eyes serious in her small face.

He grinned. "You could just ask." he offered.

She giggled. "Okay. Jasper, will you kiss me?" she asked.

Before she could take another breath, he swooped in and crushed his lips to hers. He rolled her back onto her back and cradled her with his arms under her so her back wasn't against the hard wood. Alice held onto his shoulders and lost herself in his kiss.

They made out until Alice was whimpering, her fingers tangled so tight in Jasper's hair that he winced when he finally tried to pull away. He reached up behind him with one hand and untangled her fingers, looking down at her face.

Alice opened her eyes and whispered, "Sorry, Jas."

Jasper grinned. "I'm not." and kissed her again. She sighed and settled right back into it and Jasper chuckled against her mouth.

Alice looked puzzled. "Why are you laughing?" She asked.

"I think I've created a monster." he answered and chuckled again. The night had darkened too much for him to be sure, but he could swear she turned red. "We should head home." he suggested.

Alice felt embarrassed. Did Jasper think she was being too forward? She wished figuring this stuff out wasn't so complicated. She walked along next to him, lost in thought, her teeth worrying her lip.

Jasper squeezed her hand. "Hey, you still with me?" She looked up and smiled, but he could see the worry in her eyes. He sighed, "Ali? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why do you think something's wrong?" she tried to convince him.

He swung their hands and said in a coaxing voice. "Ali... I thought we were going to talk about stuff... "

Alice sighed in defeat. "I was thinking... wondering... if I was being too... forward... by wanting to... kiss you." she stammered, still embarrassed in front of him.

"Not at all... I liked it." he grinned at her. "Why did you think that?" he wondered.

"Well... because you wanted to... leave." she told him, trying to be honest.

"It's just that it's really dark and I thought our parents might start to worry, besides, uh... I don't want our first time to be on a picnic table in the park." He took their hands and put hers against the front of his pants for a second.

"Oh... " Ali blushed and looked down, but she grinned in pleasure.

Jasper grinned, too, she was getting pretty feisty and he couldn't be happier.


	50. Answer to a Mystery

50.

Answer to a Mystery

The trip to Appleton seemed to take forever. The weather was unseasonably hot and the traffic was terrible. Jackson drove the equipment van with Lynnette, Edward, Bella, and Brent. Emmett drove his mom's SUV with Rose, Jasper and Alice, and their luggage in the back. They only had an hour before they had to check in at the fair grounds and they still hadn't even reached their hotel, yet.

Alice was twisting her fingers nervously, staring out the window and Jasper kept checking the time on his phone every few seconds. Emmett cursed the traffic and Rose wished she had stayed home. In the van, Jackson and Lynnette talked calmly about their work and the kids, while Edward kept looking out the window to see if they were close. Bella and Brent were talking about the upcoming baseball game that they were going to this week with Jasper and Edward.

Edward sighed with relief when he saw the sign for their hotel. Bella smiled at him, "See, Edward? You just have to try and relax. Nothing bad is going to happen if we're a few minutes late."

Edward tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "Easy for you to say, Bella. You're always optimistic. I can't help but worry, then it's hard for me to relax for the gig."

"Yeah, it's annoying to be late, it makes you anxious and also gives a bad first impression." Added Brent. "You never know who is going to be in the audience. It could be some big time record producer, or something."

Bella rolled her eyes at Edward, who snickered a little. "Hey!" said Brent. "You never know! It could happen."

Both cars pulled up to the front of the hotel and Jackson and Lynnette got out and went over to the SUV. Emmett rolled his window down and Jackson looked in the back at Alice.

"Hey, darlin', you got the confirmation paper for the hotel?" he asked her. She nodded and handed it to him, and he and Lynnette went in to check-in for their rooms.

They were back in about ten minutes and Jackson came back over to the window. "Any of you need to change for the concert?" They all shook their heads. "All right, I'll check with the others. If they're good, we'll head straight to the fairgrounds."

"Okay, Dad." Jasper said and the others nodded.

Jackson talked to the group in the van and then waved to Emmett and got in and drove away. They reached the fairground and had just enough time to unload, set up and relax for twenty minutes before they were scheduled to go on.

Jasper ran his hand through his hair. "Talk about cutting it close, huh?" he said.

"I know! Man, I was getting worried for a while there." Edward agreed. "I hate not having time to go over stuff before a gig. This isn't too bad, though."

Bella and Brent nodded. "Yeah, twenty minutes is plenty of time to warm up and make sure everything is ready." Brent said. "You guys need to lighten up and live more for the music."

Jasper and Edward looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Brent, you are talking to two of the most uptight guys in Wisconsin." Edward told him. "You should know that by now."

"We don't do much without a plan." Jasper agreed. "Oh well, we balance you and Bella out, any way." The four of them laughed and they knew they would have a good show.

Alice stood in the first row watching Jasper perform. She thought about how wonderful he looked. His hair was way past his chin now and glinted gold in the sun. His skin was tan and gleaming with sweat which accentuated the muscles on his arms and broad shoulders. He had worn a light blue cotton button-up shirt with the sleeves torn off and the top three or four buttons undone, a pair of old denim shorts and his feet were covered in black converse. He shook his hair out of his eyes as he sang and it went right back when he looked down at his guitar. Her heart did a flip and she wondered for the millionth time why someone who looked like him, would want someone like her.

Edward had on one of the black T-shirts that Ali had made, with the sleeves rolled up, khaki cargo shorts and brown boat shoes on his feet. His gleaming bronze hair was almost as long as Jasper's, but it waved around his face and his hazel eyes glowed against his tanned skin. He had a leaner build than Jasper, but, being that they both worked out for baseball, he was just as muscled. His head bobbed along with his long, graceful fingers on the keyboard and the tip of his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth as he played.

Jamming on Bass, Bella's layered, gleaming mahogany hair hung down to cover her face. Her chocolate eyes were smudged with smoky shadow and her pale skin shone luminous in the sun. She had on a white tank top with a coral-colored one over it and a short denim skirt with black bike shorts underneath. She had several thin bracelets on her left wrist and Keds tennis shoes on her feet. She was completely lost in the music and only occasionally looked up or over at one of her band mates.

Sensational with the drumsticks, Brent grinned pretty much the whole time they were playing. He didn't care what song they were performing, he just enjoyed being on stage doing what he loved. He didn't wear a shirt and had it hanging out of the back of the waistband of his jeans. His tanned well-formed chest and arms were glittering with sweat and the ends of his hair had started to curl from being damp with it, too. He tapped his red Converse-covered feet, and had his long, sandy hair pulled off his face with a red bandana. He wore a silver chain around his neck and a yellow plastic band around his wrist.

All in all, NoiZe was not only an awesome band, if the screams from the girls were any indication, as well as the admiring gazes from the boys for Bella, they were pretty good-looking, too. Ali smiled at the reactions of the girls in the crowd. They were so silly to be screaming and hollering at the band, but they were having a good time and that was all that mattered.

Rosalie looked behind her at some of the more enthusiastic girls, and rolled her eyes. Emmett saw her and laughed.

"You'd think they were the frickin' Beatles, the way they're screaming." Rose complained. "I wish they'd shut the hell up. Geeze."

Alice put her hands over her mouth to try and cover her laughter, but Emmett didn't bother. He cracked up and Alice saw Jasper glance at them and grin, mid-song. A few of the girls behind them squealed and argued about who he was grinning at.

Rosalie stomped her foot and said, "That's it! I'm outta' here. I can't take this any more, Em."

"Rose, we can't leave Ali." Emmett told her. "I'm sure she wants to stay and wait for Jas."

Rosalie looked at Ali. "You can stay here without us, can't you, Ali? The boys are right on stage and my mom and dad are here somewhere."

"It's okay, Rose." Alice assured her. "I'll be all right here."

"Good. We'll see you later, then." She said, and pulled Emmett away with her. Alice looked back up at the stage and Jasper quirked an eyebrow at her. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. They started the next song and Ali was forgotten.

Alice enjoyed watching Jasper and listening to the music, but the girls behind her were starting to crowd her. Suddenly, she found herself pressed up hard against the stage and a wave of fear swept over her. She could barely draw a breath and had to fight to push her way off to the side. She gasped for air and looked back up at Jasper, but he was looking the other way and didn't see why she had to move. Feeling relieved and breathing normally, Ali felt a light touch on her arm and looked over to see an unknown guy standing next to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, concern on his face.

"Yes, thank you." Alice told him with a smile.

"I saw those girls squash you against the stage and I didn't think you were going to make it for a second there." He smiled back at her. "Well, I'm glad you're all right."

"Me, too." Ali laughed. "Thank you for checking."

"No problem. Have fun." he said, walking away.

She turned to look back at Jasper and saw him frowning at her. "Great." she thought. "Now he's mad and I didn't even do anything wrong."

Ali felt defeated. She thought they had worked all of this out. She wrapped her arms around herself and felt tears fill her eyes. It was too hot to put up with this today. She glanced up at the stage again and saw Jasper looking at her with concern. He finished the song and said something to the band. He walked over to where she was and crouched down to talk to her.

"Are you okay, Ali?" he asked, stroking her cheek. "You look like you're going to cry."

She shook her head and smiled through her tears. "I'm fine, Jas. I got pushed up against the stage and had to move over here."

"Ali!" His face was full of concern. "Are you all right?" He looked her up and down.

She laughed. "I'm fine, Jas. I promise."

"Okay. Please, just stay where I can see you so I know you're all right." he asked sweetly.

She dimpled up at him. "I will."

He smiled and blew her a kiss before resuming the concert. She couldn't believe he had stopped to make sure she was all right. She looked over at the audience to see the girls who had almost crushed her, glaring at her now. She smiled and looked back up at Jasper. She couldn't help it, she was blissfully happy.

After the concert, a huge amount of people wanted to talk to the band and they were really surprised at the number. Some of the people had seen them at another fair and had come specifically because they were going to be there. A lot of them were even asking for T-shirts, and it took a long time to get packed up. Several of the more enthusiast admirers wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, and Jackson and Emmett had to encourage them to move on their way.

One of these girls was in the group that had crushed Ali against the stage. As she passed Ali on her way out of the concert area, she shoved Alice and hissed, "You better enjoy him while you can, 'cuz he's way too gorgeous for a weird-looking girl like you."

Alice found herself on the ground and just sat there for a minute, rubbing her knee, and wondered why girls were so mean to each other. She felt hands on her and was lifted off the ground. Emmett pulled her against his broad chest.

"Are you all right, Ali?" he asked her scowling. "I should go after that girl and kick her ass."

"I'm fine, Em. I just scraped my knee." she told him, giving him a hug. He carried her over to the stage and set her up on it.

"Just sit here until we're done, okay?" Emmett told her. "I gotta' get back to Rose, but you can come with me. It'll just be another minute."

Alice nodded and sat watching them finish up. After all of the equipment was in the van, the boys were playfully pushing and shoving each other and teasing Bella. They were all in a silly, energetic mood and couldn't wait to enjoy the fair.

Appleton was a bigger town than they had been in before, and the fair was quite large. There were many things to keep them busy and no one wanted to miss anything. Even Jackson and Lynnette were looking forward to the delights of the fair and were eager to set off as soon as the equipment was packed away. They all agreed to meet for dinner at 7:00 and went their separate ways.

Emmett went over to get Alice off the stage and Jasper came up behind him. "What are you doing, Em?" he asked him. He looked up at Ali still sitting on the stage. "You're taking Ali with you?"

"Yeah, one of those bitches that was hanging on you, pushed Ali down on her way out. I'm not leaving her alone so they can hurt her again." Emmett said as he reached out and lifted Alice off the stage.

Jasper went to her and lifted her chin, "Are you all right, darlin'? I didn't see you get pushed." He looked her over and squatted down to check her knee where there was a little dried blood.

"Jasper, I'm fine." she told him. "You guys worry too much."

Emmett and Jasper looked at each other knowingly and Alice rolled her eyes and said, "Geeze!"

"Well, I'm not leaving her side, either." vowed Jasper. "So I guess me, you, Ali and Rose are a group today, huh?" He challenged Emmett. Emmett just nodded and they set off to meet Rosalie.

Jasper strolled along after Emmett, his hand lovingly cradling Ali's. He glanced over at her as they walked and he was pleased to see a content smile on her face. She noticed him looking at her and grinned sweetly at him. He grinned back and squeezed her hand gently. He was determined to show her a fun time today to make up for the last time they were at the fair together.

"What would you like to do first, Ali, my love?" he said, swinging their hands as they walked.

She thought for a minute. "I think I'd like something to eat." She rubbed her tummy and grinned. "It seems I'm hungry."

Jasper and Emmett laughed. "Ah... I hear those cute little tummy growls again." Jasper teased as they saw Rosalie waiting for them.

"Hey, Rose." Emmett called, walking up to her. "It seems our Angel is hungry. You wanna' get something to eat, too?"

Rose nodded. "Sure. I could definitely eat something." She grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

The four of them set off to find some food, talking and laughing together.

The day went by happily. The four of them found a great little place to eat and then enjoyed all the sights and smells of the fair. There were rides, shows, games, treats, animals and crafts to enjoy and Jasper made sure that Alice relished every one.

Soon, they met up with Edward, Bella and Brent and decided to go on some rides.

"How about this ride, Ali?" Jasper asked her. "It looks fun."

"I don't know, Jasper. It looks a little... scary." Alice whispered as she gripped Jasper's hand.

"We don't have to go on it. It's all right." Jasper assured her as Emmett, Rose, Edward, Brent and Bella all got in line.

Alice knew that Jasper was disappointed. "Why don't you go on it with the others, Jas. I'll wait for you here." she offered.

Jasper shook his head. "There is no way I am leaving you alone, Alice. No frickin' way."

Alice bit her lip and looked at the ride, again. Jasper urged her over to a bench so they could sit there while they waited, but Alice stayed him with a hand on his chest.

"Let's try it, Jas. It'll be all right as long as you're with me." Alice offered.

"No, Ali. It's okay." Jasper told her.

"I want to." She yanked on his hand and led him toward the others in line. "It'll be... exciting." She knew she'd be scared, but she was learning that the best things in life could be scary. If you didn't try them, you were just missing out. She vowed that she wasn't going to keep missing out any more.

"If you change your mind, Ali, just let me know." Jasper reassured her and they got in line.

The attendant led Jasper and Alice to one of the cars on the ride. It looked like a two-person capsule with a bench seat down the middle. Jasper got in first and straddled the bench, a leg on either side, then Ali straddled the seat, sitting between his legs. When she sat down, Jasper gave her a wicked grin and she giggled. He was just so bad, she thought with a giggle. Jasper put his arms around her middle and she held on to the bars along the wall on either side. It was almost like sitting on a motorcycle, but closed-in.

The car raised into the air and began to spin, faster and faster. Alice leaned back against Jasper, trying not to be afraid and he tightened his arms around her. She closed her eyes, but she got dizzy, so she opened them, again. Suddenly, she felt something poking into her back and pulled away. She heard Jasper chuckle and he pulled her back firmly against his... chest. She giggled and looked back at him. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and gave her a wicked smile. She leaned her head back and relaxed against his chest and he ran his hands up under her shirt.

Ali drew in her breath. What the heck was Jasper doing? It was bright daylight out, anyone could see them, even Emmett. The thought sent a chill through her and she shivered. Jasper grinned against her throat and starting nibbling on the silky skin there. Ali sighed and tilted her head. She felt him stroking her stomach and caught her breath when he ran them up over her breasts. He fondled her through her bra and continued to nibble and kiss on her neck. Alice moaned and shifted her backside against his arousal.

Jasper sucked in his breath. "Ali... " he murmured, his breath hot near her ear. "Control yourself. It's broad daylight, after all." he teased. The ride started to slow down and Jasper pulled his hands from under Ali's shirt. Alice tried to steady her breath and Jasper gave a little laugh. "What the heck am I gonna' do with this now?" He asked her, poking her and then sliding her slightly forward away from him.

Alice giggled and looked at him over her shoulder. "I guess you should've thought about that before you decided to distract me on the ride, huh?"

His wicked grin in place, he said. "Always looking out for you, darlin'." Alice giggled, again, and Jasper chuckled.

"Ali, I think I'm going to have to have you walk in front of me when we get off this thing. You've got me way too worked up and it's not... going away." Jasper informed her.

"_I _got you way too worked up?" Alice scoffed. "Who's hands were on who?" she asked, with a giggle.

Jasper smirked. "Alice, I don't need your hands on me to get worked up. Trust me on that." he chuckled and kissed her hair.

The ride stopped and Jasper lifted Alice against his chest as he stood up and crawled out of the capsule. The attendant held the door open for him and he held Ali in front of him like a shield. Alice giggled uncontrollably the whole time and Jasper just smirked.

Jasper set her down, but held her in front of him as they walked and Alice was laughing so hard she almost couldn't walk. Emmett and Rose looked at them questionably as they walked up, and Jasper said that he had told Ali a funny joke, which just made Ali laugh even harder.

Emmett scratched his head, looking puzzled. He'd never seen Ali lose control like this, but Rose mimicked Jasper's smirk as though she was privy to the joke, and Jasper wondered if she did indeed, know what it was.

The day flew by and, soon, it was time to meet Jax and Lynnette for dinner. They decided to go to a little restaurant across the street from the fairgrounds and enjoyed a wonderful family dinner. Afterward, Jax and Lynnette said they were going to go back to the hotel and wondered if anyone wanted to come with them. Ali told Jasper that she was getting a headache and asked if he would mind if she went with them. Jasper was disappointed, but understood and kissed her forehead. Brent decided that he wanted to go back, also, so, after making sure that Emmett and Rose could remember how to get back to the hotel, the four of them headed back.

Jackson and Lynnette were staying in a room together, and Edward, Emmett, Jasper and Brent were to share a room, as well as Alice, Rosalie and Bella. Alice, feigning a head ache, went straight to her room after bidding everyone a good night. A little while later, Alice, dressed all in black, looked out into the hallway to make sure no one was present, and snuck out a back door.

Alice made it across the parking lot and into the darkness when she heard a noise. She froze and glanced around her. Not seeing anyone, she started forward once more, swiftly. Suddenly, a hand grabbed onto her arm and Alice stifled a scream.

"Ali, it's just me." Brent told her. "Don't be scared."

"Brent! What are you doing out here?" Alice breathed.

"I was wondering the same thing about you, Little Britches." Brent told her. "Where the hell are you going? It's dark out and you shouldn't be wandering around on your own."

"I am going... for a walk. I need to clear my head. I think it's because I have been kind of stressed lately." Ali told him.

"That's understandable, I guess." Brent nodded. "I'll walk with you."

"You don't need to, Brent. I'll be fine on my own." Alice assured him.

"Alice, I am not leaving you alone." Brent insisted.

Alice sighed. He'd called her, Alice, she might as well give in. "Fine, but you cannot tell anyone where I went. Understand? It's very important."

Alice gave Brent a run-down on where she was headed, and why. Brent was pretty easy going and he was intrigued by the prospect of possibly finding Ali's birth mother, and by the sheer mystery of it.

Alice pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and started walking down the street, Brent following behind.

"I wrote the directions down before we left home. It's not far from our hotel." Alice informed him.

"Ah... I suppose that's not a coincidence, huh?" Brent asked her.

Alice looked a little guilty. "Well, I wouldn't want to hurt the Cullens for anything, Brent."

Brent's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "The Cullens?" he questioned. "Since when did you start calling your mom and dad, the Cullens, Teeny?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean, Brent." she said. "I just don't want... my mom and dad to find out, until I'm ready to tell them."

"All right, Ali. I guess I can understand that." Brent assured her. "Where we headed?" he asked.

Ali looked at her paper, again. "We go down this street until we get to Oak, then we turn east onto Oak until West Tier Lane, then we go north. She lives at 2809."

"Okay. Is she expecting you? I mean, it is kind of late." Brent said, tentatively.

Alice looked worried. "I thought of that, but this in the only chance I have. I had to take it, Brent. If he doesn't want me, then I'll know, right?" She looked imploringly at him.

Brent gave her his best friend smile. "Right!" he said, enthusiastically, but he was wondering how Ali would take it if the woman did, in fact, reject Ali again. Brent chewed his lip. And what would her parents and brothers say if... when... they found out that she was wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city at night. He shuddered thinking of how big Emmett was, and Jasper, too. Well, at least he had gone with her, she had started out on her own. Anything could've happened to her and they wouldn't have known where she was.

They reached the corner of Oak Street and West Tier Lane. Alice hesitated, but then strode down the street looking at the address numbers. The neighborhood was shabby, despite the fancy sounding name of the street, and Brent was again glad that he had insisted on going with Ali. The reached 2809 and saw a light on inside. Alice drew in a large breath and marched up to the front door. Brent had to grin at her. She was always pretty timid, but give her a cause, and she was a tigress.

Alice rang the bell and they waited. Pretty soon, the door opened and Ali and Brent both gasped. There, in the doorway, stood an older, slightly taller version of Ali.

The woman just stared at Alice for a moment. "Um... can I help you, young lady?" she asked.

"Are... are you... M... Mary Br... Brandon?" Alice choked out, mouth suddenly bone dry.

"Yes." the woman sighed. "I'm Mary Brandon. And you are?" she inquired.

"I'm Alice... Cullen. I met someone... um... someone who mistook me for you... and I... wondered... if you had... um... put a baby... up for... adoption... 13 years ago... down near William's Bay?" Alice stammered and cleared her throat. Her voice shook, she was so nervous. She twisted her fingers and licked her dry lips.

The woman studied her for a moment, her eyes taking in every detail of Alice's person. "Well, you and your... friend, may as well come in." she said in defeat. She held the door open and Alice went right in, but Brent hesitated for a mere second. He just felt out of sorts about this whole visit, but he followed Ali in and tried to make the best of it.

Mary gestured for them to sit down on a faded, brown couch. The room was shabby, but clean. "Can I get either of you something to drink?" Mary asked.

"No, thank you." Brent answered.

"May I have some water?" Alice croaked. Her throat had not a drop of moisture, it having been dried up by her fear.

Mary nodded and left the room. "Alice, we shouldn't just walk into a stranger's house. You don't really know her." Brent cautioned.

"I know, Brent, but I have to find out. I have to." Alice was getting emotional.

"Okay, Teeny." Brent reassured her, holding onto her hand. "I'm here for you."

Ali smiled weakly at him, her eyes bright with tears. "Thank you, Brent." she whispered. "This means a lot to me."

"I know, Ali." he said, as Mary Brandon walked back into the room.

"Here you go... " she handed Ali the water and sat down in a chair across from them. "Now, what can I do for you?" she asked, eyeing Ali again.

"Well, as I said, my name is Alice. This is my best friend, Brent." Alice started out. "I was left at the hospital near William's Bay as a newborn, thirteen years ago, and I was recently mistook for you at a baseball tournament near here. I decided to see... if perhaps... you could be my... birth mom." Alice told her.

Mary Brandon sighed. "I guess there is a... resemblance, isn't there?" Mary admitted. "I did live near William's Bay thirteen years ago, Alice. I was a young girl, not much older than you are now, and I was in love. I made a mistake by letting my boyfriend... go all the way with me... and I ended up pregnant. He said he would take care of me... and the baby, but he was killed in a car crash at the end of June. A few hours later, I went into labor at the house I shared with my mom and stepdad. The baby was premature and I didn't know what to do, so my mom drove me to the hospital. I panicked when I got there and just... left the baby, figuring it would be taken care of, and I ran away.

Mary took a deep breath and let it out in a stressed sigh. "I haven't really regretted it. I was in no condition to care for a baby, especially a preemie, but I have often wondered how she was." She looked Alice over, again. "Is that your story? You were an abandoned preemie born at the end of June?"

Ali nodded, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe she had found her, and so easily! "Yes." she whispered, still nodding her head.

"Well, I guess you found me, then, though don't go gettin' no ideas. I ain't in no condition to take in a kid. Even one as nice seeming as you. I work late and I don't got no motherin' skills, that I know of." she added.

Alice shook her head. "No... no... that's okay. I was adopted by some... very nice people. They are really good to me. I just had to follow-up on what the lady at the baseball field said." Alice assured her. "I mean, I would like to... keep in touch with you... if that's all right with you... but... "

Alice looked at her helplessly. "If you want to... that is."

Mary studied her again. "I suppose that would be nice, Alice. I have wondered how you were and who you ended up with. It looks like you've been well taken care of."

At Alice's nod, she continued. "I'll tell you what... why don't we start out by emailing and meeting on FaceBook, to start with, and we can go from there?" Mary offered.

Alice's face lit up. "I would love that... " she breathed. "Thank you... Ms. Brandon."

Mary's face softened and she chuckled. "Please, call me, Mary. You, too, Brent."

Brent and Ali smiled at each other and then Mary started asking Alice questions about her life. They talked for a couple hours before Brent gently reminded Alice that they were probably missed by now and her family was going to be asking questions.

Alice reluctantly said goodbye to Mary with the promise that she would email her when she got home, and her and Brent walked back to the hotel.

As they came through the door, they were met in the hallway by four very angry people.

"God damn it, Ali!" Emmett growled. "Where the hell have you been?"

Rosalie stood there, shaking, with her hands on her hips. "We've been calling your phone and looking everywhere for you, Alice Cullen. What the hell?"

She looked at them apologetically. "I'm... so sorry! I... we... went for a walk... and we... got lost. We got turned around and headed the wrong way."

"You could've called, Alice." Edward told her haughtily. "We've been worried sick."

Alice looked like she was going to cry. "I... didn't bring my phone."

Brent piped up. "Sorry, guys. I didn't bring mine, either. We were just going to get some fresh air, but the next thing we knew, we were lost."

"Well, I'm glad you were with her, Brent." Emmett told him. "She never usually goes off by herself without telling someone where she's going. The only thing that kept me from calling the police was that I knew you were with her."

Rosalie and Edward nodded. "We didn't wake up my parents," Rose said. "But, if you hadn't come back soon, we would've had to."

Alice glanced over at Jasper, who hadn't said one word. He was just looking at her, an uncertain expression on his face. Alice was puzzled, he was usually the first to yell at her. The sound of Emmett's voice caught her attention again and she turned to look at him.

"Ali, please don't ever go off anywhere without telling someone or, at least leaving a note, okay?" Emmett made her promise. "The last hour has been pure hell."

Alice put her head down, shame all over her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." she softly apologized. "I didn't expect to be gone so long." She said, truthfully.

Rosalie hugged her. "It's all right, Ali. We're not mad, we were just worried."

Edward patted Brent on the back. "Thanks for going with her."

"No problem. I'm just sorry we scared you guys." Brent offered.

"It's cool." Emmett told him. "Just don't let her do it again." He only half-joked, and patted him on the back.

Emmet, Edward and Rose turned to go back to their rooms, Brent looked briefly at the still-silent Jasper and followed behind them, leaving Ali to Jasper's mercy with an apologetic look.

Alice continued to look down at the floor. She dreaded the upcoming moments with Jasper, she wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she knew it couldn't be good. He hadn't said one word to her, or anybody, since she walked into the building. Suddenly she was crushed in his arms and his mouth molded her lips to his. She gasped in surprise and he slid his tongue into her mouth. She clutched his shirt front in her hands and made a purring noise deep in her throat which caused Jasper to grasp her tighter to his chest. He slid his mouth along her cheek and down her jaw to her throat.

"Don't ever do that to me again." he demanded, nibbling on the silky skin of her throat. "I couldn't... I don't know what I would do... " He pulled back to look into her eyes, both of them looking slightly dazed. "I... need you, Ali. I... couldn't bear to... lose you." He crushed her to his chest again and stroked her hair.

She snuggled into his chest. "I'm so sorry, Jas. I never meant to... worry you."

"I know... " he whispered into her hair. "I'm just so glad that you're all right." He kissed her forehead and let her go. "Come on." He took her hand. "Let's get some sleep." And led her to their rooms. He kissed her goodnight in front of her door and watched as she went inside. Walking toward his own room, he let himself think about how he had felt when she was missing. He never wanted to experience that again, but he knew there was no way to avoid it when you loved someone.

Sighing to himself, he went into his own room to find Emmett, Edward and Brent watching TV.

"Hey, Jas!" Emmett hollered. "How'd it go? You weren't too hard on her, were ya'?"

Jasper shook his head. "No, I didn't yell at her."

Emmett and Edward looked at each other, Brent wondering what it meant.

"What?" Jasper asked, looking irritated.

Edward hesitated, so Emmett answered. "You didn't yell at her?" he asked.

"No, Emmett. I didn't yell at her." he told him, and rolled his eyes. "What about it?"

"Well..." Edward started.

"You're always yelling at her!" Emmett finished. "You yell first and ask questions later."

"Well, I'm trying to change." Jasper told them. "I'm trying not to be a... bully... any more."

"Ha! Someone is whipped." Emmett said in a sing-song voice. "She's finally taming you, huh?"

Jasper laughed. "I guess... "

Edward snorted. "Emmett, you would know."

Jasper and Brent burst out laughing and Edward snickered.

Emmett twisted up his face. "Ha! Ha! You guys are so funny!" he said sarcastically.

"You can dish it out, but you can't take it, Em." Edward laughed.

Emmett grinned. "Yeah, I guess... " he laughed, too and they ribbed each other for the rest of the night.

"Ali, are you sure you're okay?" Rosalie asked for the umpteenth time.

"I'm fine, Rose, really I am. I just have a lot on my mind." Alice told her.

"What did Jasper say? Was he mean, Ali? If he was... " Rose vowed.

Alice shook her head. "No, Rose. He wasn't mean. He was... actually... very understanding." Ali blushed and Rose and Bella giggled.

"Understanding?" Bella laughed. "Is that why your lips are red and puffy and your hair is wild?"

Bella and Rose laughed, again. Alice smiled. "What can I say? He loves me." She shrugged and they all laughed happily.


	51. Choosing Sides

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for your continued encouragement and support! To the reader who asked how long this story will be... I have no idea! LOL! I have an outline and lots of notes, I even have the last couple of chapters written, but I have to get there first. So, in warning, if you are reading, 'My Everything', and are impatient for an ending, I hate to disappoint you, but it's gonna' be a while. **

51.

Choosing Sides

"Mornin', darlin'." Jasper murmured in Ali's ear as they all met in the hallway of their hotel the next morning. "How'd you sleep?"

She dimpled up at him. "Really good, Jas. No nightmares."

He gave her a quick squeeze and they followed the rest of the group out to the cars. Ali smiled contently the whole way to breakfast, and Jasper grinned as he watched her.

Breakfast was fun. They all chatted and laughed and just enjoyed the food and each other. Jasper watched Emmett feed Rose a piece of his french toast and smiled as she thanked him with a kiss. He noticed his parents giving each other secret, loving looks as they watched over their charges. He noticed Bella blushing at something Edward whispered in her ear, and he watched Brent looking wistfully at all of them.

Jasper glanced over at Ali sitting next to him as she said something softly to Brent. Brent grinned at her and she giggled, and Jasper wondered what she said to him. Alice had a knack for cheering up those around her without even trying. He smiled fondly at her and then all of the people around him. He was so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends.

They all wished each other a safe trip home as they went back out to the cars. Ali gave her brothers a hug and kiss goodbye before letting Jasper help her into the van with his parents and Brent, and they set out for home.

A little while later, Brent looked over at Jasper and Alice both asleep on the seat next to him. He smiled at how Ali was snuggled against Jas and he had a protective arm around her. They were so happy together, at least they were when Jasper wasn't being a jerk, Brent thought with a grin. He glanced up to see Jasper's dad looking at him in the rearview mirror. Jackson grinned at him and they both chuckled.

"What?" Lynnette asked, looking over at Jackson and then over her shoulder at Brent. Jackson nodded toward Jasper and Ali, and Lynnette smiled affectionately. They were so cute and Lynnette felt tears prick her eyes. Jackson chuckled again and she slapped his shoulder.

"You are way too transparent, Lynnie, my love." Jackson teased. "Don't start naming the grandbabies just yet."

"Jackson Hale!" Lynnette's eyes widened in horror and she smacked him, again. "Don't even kid about that!"

Jackson and Brent both laughed, and Brent put a hand over his mouth when Ali stirred slightly. He settled back against the seat and started to drift off himself.

"Jasper! No!" Alice yelled in her sleep, her head thrashing back and forth, tears running down her cheeks. "Please!"

Brent shook her. "Ali? Wake up. It's okay, Teeny, it's just a dream." His eyes met Jasper's over Ali's head as Jasper came awake.

"What's going on?" Jasper asked groggily. Before Brent could answer, Jas looked down at Ali. "Oh no... " he whispered. "Ali? Darlin', you need to wake up." He said and tried shaking her. He tried talking to her some more, but she just got more agitated and pushed him away.

"Jasper! Don't!" Alice's voice rose with each word. "Someone... please... help me... " Panic and terror colored her voice and she started flailing her arms. Jasper grabbed her arms and tried to wake her again, but she was in the nightmare's grip. Jasper looked up at Jackson who was waiting anxiously for Ali to wake up as he drove.

"Dad, you better pull over." Jasper told him. "She's having a bad one."

Jackson pulled over and he and Lynnette just watched helplessly as Jasper tried in vain to wake Alice up.

"Ali, I wouldn't ever hurt you. Please wake up for me." Jasper begged. He knew that he was hurting her in her dream and it killed him that he couldn't stop it. "Alice? Darlin'... I'm here. I'm not the thing in your dream." He stroked her face and hair with one hand and held tight to her arms with the other, but she just moaned and jerked her head back and forth. Finally, he couldn't stand it any more. "Damn it, Alice! Wake up!" He hollered and shook her hard. "Wake up!"

"Jasper!" Lynnette gasped, shocked that he would be so rough with Ali, who whimpered in his arms.

Jackson got out of the van and hurried around to Jasper's side. Opening the door, he calmly took Ali's seatbelt off and lifted her over Jasper and into his arms. Jasper ran his hands over his face and put his head down.

Brent laid a hand on his shoulder. "Jas, it's okay, man. You did everything you could. She'll be fine once she wakes up." Jasper just nodded as he turned miserable eyes toward Ali and his dad.

Jackson rocked Ali against his chest and spoke softly to her. "Ali, you know that no one would hurt you, darlin'. We all love you and want you to be happy. You are just having a bad dream, doll-face, it's not real. Listen to my voice. You're safe. Come toward my voice, darlin', you will be all right."

He continued to murmur encouraging words to her and he felt her stiffen in his arms. "Ali, come back to us, darlin'." She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. He smiled with relief. "There you are, sweetheart. See? You're okay now. No one is going to hurt you."

Alice frowned up at him and then looked around. "Where are we, Mr. Jackson?"

"We're still on our way home from Appleton, sweetie. You fell asleep and were having a bad dream." Jackson told her, brushing the sweaty hair off of her face. Feeling her still trembling, he added, "You're okay now." He put her back into the van next to Jasper, and Lynnette handed him a cold bottle of water from the cooler she'd brought.

Alice drank greedily of the cold water and let out a sob when Jackson took it away.

"Dad! Let her have some more water." Jasper insisted, his arm around her.

"Jas," Jackson said patiently, as he wiped Ali's face off with some napkins wet with the cool water. "She will just throw it up if she drinks too fast. You know that. She's still half out of it and needs a couple minutes to get herself together. Just try to relax, okay?"

Jasper nodded, watching Ali with concern. Finally, Alice turned toward Jasper and smiled at him.

"You didn't kill me this time, Jas." Alice told him. "I could hear you talking to me, but the... 'red eyes'... wouldn't let me come back to you."

He squeezed her with the arm he had around her. "That's good, darlin'. You know I wouldn't really hurt you."

"I know." she agreed, laying her head on his chest.

Jackson smiled in relief and got back into the van. Ali put her seatbelt back on and Jasper handed her the bottle of water his dad had given him. She took a few small sips and sighed.

Jasper looked over at Brent as his dad pulled back onto the highway. "You okay, Brent?"

"I don't know." Brent admitted, shaking his head. "That was... intense. Does she do that a lot?"

Jasper nodded. "It's getting worse, though. It's almost impossible to wake her up any more."

"I can hear you, you know?" Alice said, scowling at them both.

Jasper grinned down at her. 'Feisty Alice' was back. "You can, huh? I guess that means your ears are working okay."

Alice grimaced at him. "That wasn't even funny, Jasper Hale." He laughed at her and she stuck out her tongue at him. His eyes darkened as he watched her mouth and he gave her a warning look. She blushed and put her head down, secretly smiling at his warning.

Brent just shook his head and laughed. How the hell could they communicate like that without even saying anything. Damn, he couldn't wait to get home to see Jessica.

That night, Ali lay in her bed thinking about Mary Brandon. She felt guilty that she had contacted her without telling her parents, but she'd just had to find out if the woman who looked so much like her, was the woman who gave birth to her. Now she knew, but she didn't know what to do about it. Should she tell her parents, or should she just pretend nothing had changed? She was so confused. She didn't want to hurt them, she loved them so much, but she was excited to get to know her birth mom, too.

Alice yawned and snuggled into her pillow. She'd think about it some more tomorrow. For tonight, she needed to get some sleep. After her nightmare in the car, she felt like she hadn't slept in days. Another yawn and she was almost there. Just then, her phone buzzed.

"Dang it... " she protested, but reached over to see who it was. It was a text from Jasper, of course. Ali rolled her eyes and opened the text with a smile.

_I know you're tired, Ali, but I need to see you. Please? _

"Ugh! Why does he do this to me?" Alice groaned.

_Jas, I'm already in bed. Can u wait til 2morrow?_

She tried to keep her eyes open as she waited. Just as her eyelids were drifting shut, the buzz caused them to go wide.

_:-( _

Alice giggled, he was impossible. She really didn't think she could physically make it, though.

_LOL! I'm sorry, Jas. I literally can't keep my eyes open. _

She was sound asleep by the next text, the buzzing not even registering.

_:'-( _

_Please... I'm begging!_

Jasper walked carefully as he snuck into the Cullen's back door. He knew it was usually open, so he had to take the chance when Ali didn't answer his last text. He knew he had it bad, but he couldn't help himself. He had to see her.

He crept up the stairs, listening to make sure everything was quiet. He could hear Emmett snoring and knew that Edward probably had his headphones on, whether he was sleeping yet, or not. Ali's bedroom was in between Emmett's and Edward's, but across the hall, and their parents' room was at the other end of the hall. If he could get past Emmett's door without waking him up, he'd be okay.

He reached Ali's door with a sigh of relief. It opened easily under his hand and he knew that it was left slightly ajar ever since Ali's nightmares had started. He went in and closed the door behind him. He softly approached the bed, listening to Ali's breathing. She had fallen asleep with her phone in her hand. He grinned and put her phone on her nightstand. He turned back and brushed the hair off Ali's face. She looked so peaceful in the dim light of her nightlight, that he hated to wake her, but he wouldn't be able to sleep if he couldn't talk with her for just a minute.

He reached out and gently shook her. "Ali? Darlin', wake up." he prompted. When she didn't even stir, he frowned and tried again. "Ali... can you hear me?" he asked her, shaking her gently, again.

"Damn." he thought, and ran his hand through his hair. He really wanted to talk to her. He knew he was being selfish, but his thoughts were eating at him.

He looked down at the way her soft lips were parted and he bent down and covered them with his. She mumbled something and he deepened the kiss, tangling his fingers in her long, shiny hair. He knew the minute she was truly awake because she gasped into his mouth. He drew back and whispered, "Ah... Sleeping Beauty awakens."

"Jasper, what are you doing here?" she asked him, rubbing her eyes.

He looked guilty as he sat on the edge of her bed, but he was determined to talk to her. "I know this is... stupid, Ali, but... I need to ask you... when you were gone... at the hotel... were you and Brent... " He ran his hand through his hair, which was a complete mess since this was probably the hundredth time he'd done it tonight. "Were you and Brent... you know... together?"

Alice sat up in her bed, crossing her arms. "What do you mean by that, Jasper Hale?" Alice spit out, instantly outraged. "Do you mean, were we taking a walk together? The answer is yes. If you mean, were we cheating on you and Jessica? I am _not_ even going to answer that."

Jasper gazed at her with admiration, he loved it when she was feisty. He knew he was being stupid, but something was going on and it kept niggling at him, and he couldn't let it go. He really didn't think her and Brent were anything more than friends, but something was off, and he wanted... no, he needed... to know what it was.

"I know... I told you it was stupid. Just... my mind got the better of me, ya' know? I keep feeling like something is... wrong. I'm really sorry, baby." He reached out to brush her hair back again and she just glared at him.

"Baby?" she hissed, trying to distract him from wondering about her and Brent's 'walk'. "Do I look like a baby?"

He gazed at her furious face and grinned. He couldn't help it, she was so damn cute and it was turning him on.

Suddenly, he felt small hands shove at him and he slipped off the bed and landed on the floor. He looked up at her, shock on his face, and she giggled. He growled low in his throat and jumped up on her. She let out a little scream and he quickly covered her mouth with his to swallow it. She giggled again, into his mouth this time, and she could feel him smile as she tried to get away.

Jasper groaned at the feel of her squirming underneath him and began to kiss her passionately. Ali gasped and locked her hands onto his shoulders for support. She could feel every inch of him that was laying along every inch of her, and she tingled everywhere. Her head was spinning and she felt his thigh move between hers. Warning bells went off in her head, but, every time she made sense of them, her thoughts would spin away as sensations, more powerful than she'd ever felt before, filled her.

Jasper's lips scalded her jaw and down her throat as his large hands fumbled with the buttons on her pajama top. Ali panted as she felt Jasper cover her breast with his hand and start to fondle her, his hardness prodding just to the side of the juncture of her thighs.

Alice was driving him crazy. He knew he should stop, but the little mewling noises she was making had him so hard, he didn't know if he could. He had come over to see her because he just couldn't stop thinking about her. He had a bad feeling that something was going on, but mostly he wanted to see her... and touch her.

The skin of her throat and breasts was like silk and the heat coming from her center made his head spin. "God, Ali... I... want you... so bad... " He murmured against her throat, sucking and kissing, his hands worshipping her. "You drive me... crazy... I need you... so much... "

Ali gasped for breath and fought to clear her head, she was so disoriented. She ran her hand up under Jasper's shirt, and laid it against the hot skin of his tight abdomen. He sucked in his breath and returned to her mouth, kissing her in a frenzy. He moved his hand down to her waist and began pushing her sleep shorts down.

Ali grabbed his hand, "Jasper... you can't."

"I need to, Ali... I... can't wait... let me... please... " he begged, moving his mouth back to her throat. He breathed in her scent and groaned as he raked his teeth down her neck. Suddenly, he felt her tense and a scream build in her throat as she tried desperately to push him off of her. He quickly covered her mouth with his hand and held her down with his body. If she woke up Emmett, or God forbid, her dad, they were in big trouble. She tried to claw at his face and he captured her hands easily and held them above her head.

Alice felt panic rise in her chest the minute she felt Jasper's teeth on her skin. Though her rational mind thought she was awake, months of nightly terror disoriented her to where she didn't know if she was dreaming, or not. A scream erupted from deep within her and she felt a suffocating hand cover her mouth. Panic overwhelmed her and she fought for her life. He said he loved her, so why did he torment her in her dreams?

"Ali, darlin'? It's all right. Please... don't be afraid of me. I'm not going to hurt you." Jasper's voice broke as he held her down. He had one hand over her mouth, both of her hands held above her in his other hand, and his big, heavy body lying fully on her tiny one. He heard her sob and he murmured to her, "Don't scream, Ali." He removed his hand from her mouth and she drew in a shaky breath. He could see her eyes wide with fear in the dim light and he wondered why the hell he had come over here tonight. Why was he always so selfish and thoughtless when it came to Ali?

He gazed down at her with regret. "I'm going to let you loose now, honey. Please try to relax, okay? We can't wake anybody up. Darlin', you understand?"

Ali nodded and Jasper released her hands and brought them down to her sides. He shifted his body so he was laying beside her and rested his head in one hand while cupping her face in his other one.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Jasper stroked her face, but her eyes were still frightened. "Ali... you're all right, honey. Please... talk to me. Tell me you're okay."

"I'm awake, right?" she asked him and he nodded. She looked around the room like she wasn't sure. He could be lying, he was always charming, but devious and cunning before killing her. She didn't see any of their family and she was in her room, not in the dark nothingness.

She looked back at Jasper's worried face and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I wasn't sure... if I was dreaming... or not. When you... touched my neck... with your teeth... " She shuddered. "I... wasn't sure..."

"It's all right, darlin'. I shouldn't have come over. You were sleeping and I... was selfish." He continued to stroke her face. "I'm sorry, Ali. I don't mean to be such a jerk. It just comes naturally."

She gave him a little smile and he leaned over to gently kiss her cheek. "I should go. You need to sleep and I don't want to wake anyone else up." He started to get up and she grabbed his arm.

"I... I'm sorry... Jas... " She pleaded with her eyes. "Forgive me?... Please?"

Jasper settled back on the bed. "You didn't do anything, Ali. There is nothing to forgive."

"You have to, Jas." Ali said, gripping his shirt. "What if... what if I am dreaming? They'll be here soon. I don't want to see them. Please? If you're already here, maybe they'll... stay away."

Jasper didn't know what to do. She knew she was awake, but she was afraid that she really wasn't. He didn't know how to convince her that she was okay. "Okay, Ali. What if I stay with you until you fall asleep?" She nodded, but still looked worried. "You have to trust me, Ali, and try to get some sleep." She promised and he figured he'd sneak out once she was settled. It was the least he could do after waking her up and upsetting her.

He stroked her arm and watched her close her eyes and try to relax. After several minutes, her breathing deepened and her body relaxed. He sighed in relief.

"Damn, that was close." Jasper thought as he watched her. Not only had they come close to waking everyone up, he had been damn close to taking her right there, with her dad not fifty feet away. "If she hadn't panicked... " He ran his hand over his face and groaned. His subsiding erection was still a little uncomfortable and he shifted, trying to find a more amiable position.

He thought about how close he had come, and was glad that his teeth on her neck had broken into his lustful efforts, even if it had scared the crap out of her. Then he started to think about how good she would feel and how tight she probably was and how hot she felt and how good she smelled and how soft her skin was... he had to stop, that's all there was to it. He didn't have a choice, he'd promised Emmet that he would give her a few more years, and he wasn't planning on breaking that promise, but he didn't know how much longer he could resist.

Jasper finally crept out of Ali's room and made his way back home. He laid on his bed thinking of Ali and how he sure wished she'd grow up faster. He finally fell asleep and had some very vivid dreams of his own.

Ali was so excited. She and her mom... Mary... had been emailing and Instant Messaging each other all week. Mary had told her all about herself and her dad. She had asked Alice a lot of questions, too. Alice told her all about her house and school, her friends and family, what she did for fun, everything that Mary wanted to know. Mary even wanted to see if they could arrange a time where they could get together again. Alice couldn't believe that she had found her mom so easily. She knew it usually took a lot of effort and time to locate someone, and she felt incredibly lucky.

Ali hoped that she would feel confident enough to tell her parents about Mary soon and be able to arrange another meeting. Mary offered to come down over the coming weekend, but Ali had to go to the baseball game with Jasper. She was tempted to try and get out of it, but since she had gifted him and Edward with the tickets, she felt she should go. She also didn't feel comfortable confiding in Jasper about Mary yet, and didn't know what to tell him if he caught her sneaking away.

Alice sighed and turned off her laptop. She needed to get some sleep so she wouldn't be tired for the baseball game tomorrow. Edward and Jasper each had four tickets and Jasper had invited her, Rose and Emmett. Edward had asked both of their dads and Jessica, and Brent and Bella both got in for free since their dads were now on the Milwaukee Brewers' team.

Bella and Alice both wished that the boys would've asked some of their other friends to go to the game instead of them, but they vowed to be enthusiastic for the boys' sake and make the best of it.

The group set off for Milwaukee mid-morning and all of the males in the car, and Rose, were chattering with excitement. They had put the spare seat in the van they had bought to haul their band equipment in, so they could all ride together. The van was made to hold nine people comfortably, so they were able to get all ten of them in since Alice was so small. She was stuck between Jasper and Edward, and felt invisible as they talked over her head. She soon became absorbed by thoughts of Mary and again wished she had been able to think of a way to stay home today. Jasper finally noticed her preoccupation with her thoughts and asked her what she was thinking about.

"Oh... nothing really. I'm just trying to entertain myself." Alice answered him.

"I'm sorry we're ignoring you, Ali. We're just excited to see the game!" Jasper told her joyously.

"I know, Jas. It's all right. I'm just lost in my thoughts, that's all. I'm sure we'll all have a great time." Alice said, trying to sound excited.

They finally reached the stadium and found their seats right behind the dugout. Bella and Brent's dads even came up to meet them all and said they'd get the team to sign a ball for both Edward and Jasper.

Alice tried to pay attention to the game, but she was again seated between Edward and Jasper and, as usual, the two of them didn't even acknowledge that she was there. She wished that she had tried to sit next to one of the other girls, or even Emmett, since they all at least talked to her. Alice sighed and drew her legs up so she could put her chin on her knees. She felt Jasper put his arm around her and she looked up.

"You okay, darlin'?" he asked, one side of his mouth quirked up.

Ali smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just watching the game."

He grinned and hugged her to him. "I'm sorry I guilted you into coming. Thank you for being a good sport, though. I'm having a really good time."

She grinned in pleasure. "I'm glad, Jas. I wanted you and Edward to have something special for graduation."

"It is special, Ali, it's great!" he enthused, then his gaze softened and he said, "Will you come here?"

She looked puzzled, but let him pull her up on her feet and over onto his lap. She snuggled into his chest and sighed. She loved when he held her like this.

"There, now I won't forget to pay attention to you, huh?" He chuckled down at her, loving the feel of her in his arms. He looked over at Edward sitting next to where Alice had been and Edward rolled his eyes. They were at a baseball game, for crying out loud, couldn't they wait to cuddle when they got home?

Edward wasn't afraid to admit that he had always been jealous of Jasper's attention to Alice and, now that they were going out, it was even worse. Jasper was always cuddling her or murmuring to her, and he wanted, just once, to be able to talk to Jasper without Alice interfering. This was supposed to be his and Jasper's graduation gift, not Jasper and Alice's date night.

He looked next to him at Bella, who was talking with Brent and Jessica. Bella didn't need constant attention like Alice did and, though he loved paying attention to her, she knew when it was inappropriate to do certain things.

Glancing back Jasper's way, he cleared his throat and Jasper's eyes met his.

"Anyway, as I was saying... " he started, looking down at Alice and then back up at Jas, pointing out that his repositioning of Alice had interrupted their conversation. They continued their talk, but Jasper kept rubbing Ali's back, nuzzling her ear or kissing the top of her head, and Edward finally snapped. "Damn it, Jas! Do you have to keep... fondling her in public? Wait until we get home, at least, before you start groping her. Geeze, I'm trying to talk to you."

Jasper's eyes widened in shock before his face hardened with anger. Alice stiffened in his lap and sat straight up before jumping off and running down the stairs to the concession area.

"God damn it, Edward! What the hell is wrong with you?" Jasper snarled at him standing up to go after Alice.

"Why can't we carry on a conversation without Alice always getting in the way?" Edward growled back, staying Jasper with a hand on his arm. "I'm sick of competing with my own sister for my best friend's attention. This is supposed to be for us, me and you. I can't even talk to you because you're all over Alice. Can't we, for once, do something without her having to come along?"

By now, the rest of their group was looking at them, except for their fathers who were sitting together down at the end of the row, and hadn't heard them. Emmett, who was sitting on the other side of Jasper, just scowled at Edward and Rosalie was glaring at both of them.

Bella gasped. "Edward! I can't believe you said that." She got up to go after Alice herself. "That was just... mean!" She flounced away down the aisle and Edward glared at Jasper.

"See? Now Bella is mad at me because of Alice." He grumbled. "Alice is always causing some kind of chaos."

"She didn't cause any of this, Edward. I'm the one that was paying attention to her. She was just sitting there quietly the whole time." Jasper asked, seriously pissed. "She did not say one word. What is wrong with you? "

Edward knew he spoke the truth and looked ashamed. "You're right. She didn't do anything wrong. I... have no excuse. I'm just being a jerk." He stood up. "I'll be right back."

Jasper watched Edward walk toward where Alice and Bella had disappeared. He wanted to go after Ali, but he knew Edward should go to her himself, so he sat back and anxiously waited.

Alice ran down to the bathroom, thankful that there wasn't a line. Her face was bright red and she was too shocked and embarrassed to cry. She locked herself in a bathroom stall and sat on the closed lid of the toilet, her legs drawn up and her face buried in her knees. She had forgotten how much Edward used to hate her, now he couldn't hide his contempt for her, so Jasper must've told him about how she had let him... touch her. She thought he would be outraged on her behalf, like Emmett would be, but he hadn't really ever wanted her as his sister, and maybe he still didn't.

Alice started sobbing into her knees, why couldn't she do anything right? Alice wondered what it would've been like to grow up with her real mom. She heard Bella call her and she rubbed her burning eyes with her fists, and got up and opened the stall door.

"I'm here." she answered quietly, stifling a sniffle.

Bella rushed over to her and gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry, Ali. Edward can be such a jerk!"

Alice hugged her back. "It's okay. I... don't really blame him. He... he's... always had to... put up with me."

Bella pulled back and glared at her. "Alice Cullen, don't you say that! There is no excuse for him to act that way. You did nothing wrong. He's just being a creep."

Alice shook her head sadly. "He just wants to spend time with his best friend and I've always gotten in the way of their friendship."

"That's not true, Alice. He plays baseball with Jasper, practices in the band every day with him, goes to the concerts every weekend with him, they're always playing video games together... they spend more time together than you and Jasper do."

Just then, they heard Edward call from outside the door. "Alice? I'm sorry... can I talk to you? Please..."

Alice looked up at Bella with anxious eyes. "I don't really want to talk to him right now, Bella. I need a minute to... pull myself together. Can you talk to him?"

Bella patted her shoulder. "Sure, I'll talk to him. Take your time."

Alice splashed cold water on her face after Bella left the bathroom. She looked up at herself in the mirror. How could she face him now, knowing that he probably knew what she had let Jasper do to her? She dried off her face and hands and smoothed her hair, and, giving herself one last look in the mirror, walked out into the public area. She twisted her fingers nervously as she saw Edward and Bella talking urgently, but they stopped when they spotted her.

Edward walked over to her and put his hands on her upper arms. "I'm sorry, Ali. It wasn't right for me to say that. I was just irritated and I took it out on you. Please forgive me?" He looked at her with hopeful eyes. Alice gave him a soft smile, her cheeks scarlet, and nodded. His face flooded with relief and he looked over at Bella as if to say, 'See? I knew she would forgive me.'

"Would you like a soda or something while we're down here, Ali?" Edward asked her like nothing had happened. When she shook her head and thanked him anyway, he asked Bella. Bella declined and Edward escorted them back to their seats. Jasper looked distressed until he spotted them coming up the steps. He watched Alice anxiously until she was in front of him, but she wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"Are you okay, darlin'?" He asked, looking her over.

Ali nodded and sat down in her seat. She could see Jasper out of the corner of her eye watching her now and then, but she pretended to be absorbed in the game and prayed it would end soon so they could go home.

The game was great and the Brewer's won, which caused the boys to holler and jump around, high-fiving each other. The announcer congratulated Edward and Jasper on their graduation, which really thrilled them both, and Brent's dad took them down to meet the team. They were both presented with a signed game ball and invited back any time. They walked out of the stadium chattering with excitement and goofing around with each other, and Emmett and Brent.

Edward had had a blast. Except for the incident with Ali, it had been a great day. They had eaten hot dogs and popcorn, drank root beer and gotten signed game balls. They had gotten to sit right behind the dugout and gotten to meet the team. All-in-all, a perfect day, until it dawned on Edward that they wouldn't be here at all, if it hadn't been for Ali. He felt ashamed and looked over at her as they walked to the van. She always tried to pretend she was happy and nothing was wrong, but he could see the shadows in her eyes and how her smile didn't light up her face as it usually did.

Edward walked over and hip-checked Alice lightly. She looked up in surprise and smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Ali, thank you so much for the baseball game. It was so awesome." Edward told her, smiling widely. "I had a great time, and I really am sorry about what I said."

"It's okay, Edward. Everyone gets frustrated sometimes." They had reached the van and Alice got in, moving to the back seat and Bella and Jessica got in and sat on each side of her. The boys looked at each other with surprise, but then got in themselves and they started for home.

Alice was grateful to the girls for rallying around her and put her head back on the seat. She didn't think she could pretend that everything was all right for the entire trip home. She knew that Edward and Jasper were close and confided in each other, but she never thought that Jasper would talk to Edward about how he had touched her. She had known that he would never talk to Emmett about it, Emmett was very protective of her, but she had thought that Edward would be, too. Now she knew that Edward didn't really feel brotherly toward her, after all, and she felt like crying again.

Alice barely held on until they reached their house and, after mumbling farewell to everyone, had headed straight to her room. She hoped her mom was online, she really needed someone to confide in right now. Someone who wasn't friendly with the Cullens, someone who was on her side.


	52. Which Way to Go

52.

Which Way to Go

Alice indulged in a few tears as her laptop booted up. She felt ashamed and betrayed, and hoped for the millionth time that her mom... Mary... was online tonight.

Alice logged in and checked her email. There were a few jokes forwarded by some friends she had made in a chat room, but nothing from Mary. Alice sighed and logged into her Instant Message account and almost shouted out loud when she saw that Mary was online. Before she even had the chance to start typing, the chime sounded alerting her to a message.

_Hi, Alice. Did you have fun at the ballgame?_

Alice smiled and wrote a reply.

_Hi! No! It was terrible! _

_I was so bored and then Edward said some mean things about me in front of everyone _

_and I realized that Jasper has been confiding personal stuff to him. _

_I am so humiliated and I don't ever want to speak to either of them again. _

Alice waited and then saw that Mary was typing a reply. Her laptop chimed and she smiled, so happy that she had someone to not only talk to, but who could understand.

_Oh no! I am so sorry, Alice. Edward sounds like a jerk! _

_And Jasper? How can you ever trust him again? _

_He sounds like he's only after one thing any way. _

Alice's smile widened. Her mom was so smart and seemed to always understand her. Not like Carlisle and Esme who seemed to be encouraging her to give herself to Jasper. Mary could relate since she had had her share of ill-treatment in her life.

_You're probably right. He told me he loves me, but _

_he's always touching me and begging me to let him do more._

_It seems as though, the more I try to please him, the more demanding he becomes. _

_Plus, he's so bossy and always telling me what to do. I hate that!_

Alice wiped her sweaty hand on her pants and hit 's_end_'. She was nervous that her mom would think she was immoral, or something, but Mary replied instantly.

_Stay away from him, Alice! They all tell you they love you, _

_then they leave you after they get what they want. _

_Trust me! I know what I'm talking about._

_Don't end up like me, Ali - alone and pregnant._

_If your parents won't protect you, you have to do it yourself._

_Tell him no! Make him keep his hands off of you. _

_Sex is over-rated any way. _

_It's great for him, but painful and messy for you. _

_You will thank me one day for helping you to keep him away._

She knew it! Her dreams could be some kind of prophecy. Her family lets him have her, and then he hurts her while they all just stand around and watch. Well, she wasn't going to let him use her like that. She would never give herself to him!

Alice felt tears prick her eyes. How could they pretend all these years to love her and then do something like this?

She shook her head, refusing to believe it. It couldn't be true. Emmett would never do that to her. He watched Jasper like a hawk around her, and he was one of Jasper's best friends. He truly loved her, didn't he? And Rose? Well, she was Jasper's sister... but she always defended Alice when Jasper or Edward were mean to her. Her mom and dad were so good to her... and Jackson and Lynnette, too... She must be going insane.

Alice cradled her head in her hands, she was getting one of her bad headaches. It had been such a long day and she was so confused. Her parents loved her... of course they did! But why would Mary say those things unless they were true? She had no reason to turn her against her family... did she?

Alice rubbed her forehead and typed a message.

_I will stay away from him, Mary. Thank you for _

_being there for me! I am going to bed now._

_I have a headache and it's been a really long day._

_Will you be online again tomorrow?_

Mary's reply came instantly.

_Feel better, baby girl._

_I will be online tomorrow. _

_Get some rest and I will talk to you then. _

_Goodnight! _

Alice smiled. She knew Mary really did care about her. She only had her best interests at heart. Alice sighed, she needed to talk to Jasper about their relationship and she needed to get a lock for her door. She couldn't just let him come in her room any time he felt like it. He didn't own her, after all, and it was so much harder for her to deny him when she was sleepy and they were in the dark.

She typed a goodnight to Mary and logged off for the night. Putting her laptop on her desk, she took her pajamas and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When she came out of the bathroom, Edward was in his room with the door open, waiting for her to come out.

"Hey, Ali. Going to bed?" he asked her.

"Um... yeah. You?" she said.

Edward nodded his head. "Pretty soon." He scratched his head. "Uh... thanks again for the baseball game. I had a really great time. I think it's one of the best gifts I've ever gotten." He gave her a tentative smile. "I am sorry about what I said. I guess I just get jealous cuz Jasper pays so much attention to you. I... wasn't really mad at you. I was really mad at him. He kept messing with you and wouldn't pay attention to what I was saying." He looked hopefully at her. "Do you forgive me?" He asked.

Alice smiled. She knew he was trying to fool her, get on her good side again, but she wasn't blind to his tricks any more. "Sure, Edward. It's not a big deal. Besides, you won't have to worry about me distracting Jasper any more. I'm... breaking up with him tomorrow... I..."

"What?" Edward asked loudly. "You can't, Ali. You'll crush him. Why would you do that?"

Alice scoffed at him. "Yeah, it'll crush him, all right. Sure." She put her hands on her hips. "Jasper will be fine, Edward. Maybe he'll be disappointed, but he'll get over it quickly, I promise you."

Edward looked confused. "But, Ali, I thought you were happy with Jas. I thought you loved him. What happened? Is it because of me? You were... happy with him at the game today."

"I'm tired of his crap! Okay?" Alice snapped. "I can't trust him. I can't trust anybody!" She whirled and went into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and looked at her door. What the hell was going on with her? He didn't know what to do. Should he talk to his parents? To Jasper? Should he just leave her alone?

He sighed and went into the bathroom. Girls were so dramatic. Maybe she just needed some sleep and would feel better in the morning. He wasn't going to upset Jasper tonight. He'd wait and see how Ali was in the morning and then he'd decide if he should do anything.

That night, Alice slept peacefully. Her parents both checked on her in the night, and even Edward snuck in to make sure she was okay. She woke up well-rested and determined. She felt strong and confident of her decisions, and no one was going to make her do anything she didn't want to do ever again. She had her mom to help her now and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Edward walked down to breakfast wondering how Ali was feeling today. He walked into the kitchen, relieved to see her still there.

"Morning, Ali. How'd you sleep?" he asked, a friendly smile on his face.

She looked at him suspiciously. "Good morning. Okay. How about you?"

"Great!" he answered enthusiastically, but he didn't tell her he had been awake on and off all night worrying and had checked on her while she slept. "Got any plans for today?" he continued the conversation.

She looked away quickly and he frowned. "Um... not really. I'm getting online to... chat with some friends later. That's all." She looked down at her cereal and began eating again.

Edward got his breakfast, but tried to think of a way to bring up their talk from last night. "Oh. That sounds... fun. Emmett and I are going to pick up Bella later. Wanna' ride along?" he asked.

Her head shot up and she looked at him with raised brows. "Well... uh... I'll probably be busy. Thanks anyway."

He felt like an ass as he thought of all the times she had asked to come along when he and Emmett had picked up Bella and he had told her no. He had wanted time with Bella and he hated always having to share her with Alice. He hated having to share anyone with Alice. She was always so friendly and easy to talk to and he... wasn't. He had envied her all his life and, though they had been closer the last few years, he had secretly resented how everyone always thought she was so wonderful, and he liked the fact that some of the kids at school still thought she was weird. He knew that made him a bad person, but it wasn't like he wanted anything bad to happen to Alice. He loved her and truly wanted her to be happy, he just didn't like it that people liked her so much better than him.

He sighed as he sat down to eat. One thing about her being better than him, that was good, was that it made him try to be a better person. He figured that was why she was in his life, he just didn't know why he was in hers. He didn't seem to enrich her life at all, even though he tried, he couldn't come up with one thing he did, or was, that made her life better. Maybe one day he'd know, until then, he'd just keep trying to be a better person, and to treat Ali better, too.

As soon as Alice was done eating, she went straight back up to her room and Edward let out a sigh. At least she hadn't said any more about breaking up with Jasper. Jas would be devastated if she did. She may not believe it, but he knew it to be true. Jasper really loved her and, if Ali broke it off with him, Jas would probably blame it on him for what he said at the game yesterday. He loved Jasper like a brother and confided things to him that he didn't tell anyone else, not even Bella. He didn't think he could handle it if Jasper and he ever ended their friendship.

Edward was brought out of his thoughts by Emmett bounding into the room.

"Hey, little brother!" He reached out and messed up Edward's hair and grinned down at him. "Almost ready to go get your girl?" he asked.

Edward scowled and tried to smooth his hair. "Yeah, pretty much."

Emmett laughed, grabbed a carton of juice from the fridge and headed into the garage for his Jeep.

"Well, let's get a move-on, then!" he hollered and Edward rolled his eyes, put his dishes in the sink and followed him out the door.

Alice was on her laptop when her phone buzzed.

_Hey, darlin'! You up? _

Alice scowled. Couldn't he ever just leave her alone? She left him alone for band practice, baseball, all the stuff he did, but he acted like she should be available whenever he wanted her.

_Yes, I am. _

She waited to see what he wanted so she could finish some writing she was doing online.

_Good! Can I see you today? Please?_

Alice bit her lip. She did want to talk to him about what he told Edward. She might even still want to break it off with him, but that kind of scared her. She knew he would get really mad, and she had to admit that his temper was still frightening.

_Sure! I have to finish something online first. _

_My house in 20 minutes? _

Her phone buzzed right away.

_Perfect! C u then! _

_I can't wait! _

_Jas x _

Alice hurriedly finished up her writing and closed her program. She went into the bathroom to brush her hair again since it was still damp from her shower and went downstairs to wait for Jasper.

Alice no sooner entered the living room when there was a knock on the door. She went over and opened it to see a grinning Jasper on the door step. She couldn't help it, she smiled at him, he looked so cute and happy standing there.

"Good mornin', darlin'!" He said and pulled a single yellow rose from behind his back. He held it out to her and she took it.

"Good morning. Thank you for the rose, Jasper. It's beautiful." she told him, putting it to her nose to inhale the soft fragrance. "Come in."

He came in and she shut the door and led him into the living room. She sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her. Jasper sat down and leaned over to give her a kiss. Alice wanted to turn her head so he only kissed her cheek, but she didn't want to put him on the defensive right away. She wanted to talk to him before she made any definite plans.

Jasper covered her soft warm lips with his own and internally groaned at the feel and smell of her. He pulled back and smiled lovingly at her. She smiled back, but the smile didn't reach her eyes and he tried not to frown at the bad vibes he was getting.

"Shit! What did I do now?" He thought, searching his mind for any clue he could come up with. Nothing came to mind, and Ali just sat there smelling the rose he'd picked for her.

"You okay, Ali?" he asked her cautiously.

She smiled and nodded at him. "There is... something I'd like to talk to you about." she admitted.

"O-kay..." he said. He tried to stay calm and smile, but it was tough. The vibes coming off of her were bad. "What's up, sweetheart?" he quipped lightly.

Alice caught her lip between her teeth. She didn't know where to start. "Well... at the game yesterday... um... the stuff Edward said... " She paused and Jasper tried really hard to be patient.

Finally, he offered her a nudge. "Yeah...?"

"Why...? Um... did you...?" She looked at him helplessly.

"What Ali?" he asked her. "You can ask me anything, darlin'. What do you want to know?"

"Jasper... why did you tell... Ed... ward about... us?" she stammered, her face turning scarlet.

Jasper looked at her blankly, waiting for her to elaborate. "About us...?" he prompted.

"You know, Jasper Hale!" she suddenly snapped. "Stop playing games with me. Why did you tell about how I l-let you... t-t-touch m-me?" She shook her head, looking down. "That was private! I.. I'll never let you t-t-touch me... a-a-gain."

"Ali! What are you talking about?" Jasper demanded. She looked up at him and he was shaking his head, a surprised expression on his face. "I didn't. I never... never said anything... to Edward or... anybody. I didn't..."

He looked so innocent, but Ali didn't know what to believe any more. She felt so confused. Her head almost felt like it was stuffed with cotton and her thoughts got all jumbled up inside.

Jasper grabbed her hands. "I swear to you, Ali. I haven't talked to Edward... or anyone... about us... at all. Not Rose, or Emmett, or... anybody."

Alice searched his face for any sign that he was lying. She had found that he was good at deceiving her, but she couldn't find any trace of guile there at all. She bit her lip and nodded.

"Okay, I believe you. I just... thought that he... knew... after what he said." She looked down at their hands. "Sorry I jumped to conclusions."

"It's all right, Ali. Edward shouldn't have said those things to us. He had no right." Jasper told her.

Alice looked up at his face again. "That's true, but he gets jealous of the attention you give me. He's always been mad that I interfere in your friendship. I shouldn't have gone yesterday. It was supposed to be for the two of you. You should've asked one of your friends to go instead of me. I knew better, but I let you change my mind."

Jasper looked ashamed, but defended himself none the less. "It was my gift, and I could invite whomever I wanted, right?" At her nod, he continued. "I wanted you there, Ali. I miss you when we're apart. I know you were bored and I'm sorry, but Edward has no right to tell me who to invite."

Alice took in a deep breath. "There's more, Jas. I... I don't want..." He looked into her dark eyes and started to shake his head.

"No, Ali. No way! I won't let you. You're mine and I'm not letting you go." he told her, his face red with anger. He grabbed her upper arms tightly. "Edward can go fuck himself! There is no frickin' way I'm giving you up for him."

Alice's eyes widened and she tried to pull away from him. "Let go of me, Jasper. You're hurting my arms." He dropped his hands instantly and she rubbed where he had squeezed her soft skin.

Jasper stared at where she was rubbing her arms. "Sorry..." he whispered. His eyes went to hers and she saw fear there. "Ali... please... I didn't tell... I... wouldn't... I won't... touch you... any more... please..." Anguish shown in his beautiful emerald eyes and Alice felt her heart squeeze. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't trust him any more, either.

"I... don't want to... hurt you. I just... don't know what to... do." Ali faltered, looking confused.

"Then don't do this, Ali. Don't break up with me over something I didn't even do. Please!" he begged. "I love you. Haven't I shown you that I do?"

She nodded. "Yes. I love you, too, Jas. I do. I'm just... mixed up. I don't know... anything, right now." Her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

"I can help you, Ali. I've been helping you, haven't I?" She nodded and he kept talking. "I've tried so hard to give you space and control myself.. I know I haven't been... perfect, but I'm really trying. I want to... touch you... all the time, but I... make myself stop. I can't wait to see you... every day. I... dream about you at night... good dreams... and I... think about us... being together when we grow up. Not like, sex... but, you know... married and in our house." He knew he was rambling, but he had to convince her that they were good together. "We just have to... hang in there. Help each other... trust each other."

Ali nodded, but her eyes were troubled. Should she confess to Jasper that she just didn't trust him? That she didn't trust anybody any more? "I... okay. Okay, Jas. I will... I'll help you and try... to trust you... just... don't get mad at me, okay? At least... try not to."

He grabbed her against him in a tight hug. "I won't... I mean, I will... I'll try hard not to get mad. I'll try hard to... keep my hands off you. I'll make you trust me. You'll see."

She wrapped her arms around him and held onto him as though he might disappear. She was relieved that she had made herself talk to him. She had never had to be without him, and it scared her that she might have to one day. She laid her head on his chest and breathed him in. Life was so much simpler when all she had to do was push his hands away from whatever he was doing and plop into his lap. Now there were feelings and other people to worry about and she didn't like it one bit.

After their talk, Jasper had asked Alice if she wanted him to let her have some time to think, or did she want to have company. Ali decided that she wanted to spend some time with him and he grinned like he had won the lottery. It warmed her heart to see him happy and she was so glad that they had worked out this last hitch in their relationship. All she had to do now was keep him from trying to take her clothes off, and they would be okay.

"Ali, I know it's still a little early, but would you want to walk into town with me and I'll treat you to lunch?" Jasper asked her.

"I'd love to, Jas, but you know my parents will be mad if I don't ask them first." Ali told him.

"Can you call your mom?" he asked.

Alice thought about where she might be and decided to try. "Mom? I'm sorry to bother you... " she said into her phone when her mom picked up. "Jasper wants to take me to lunch in town. Can I go with him?" Jasper watched her as she listened to her mom and was relieved when he saw her smile. "Okay. Thanks, Mom. Love you, too. Bye."

She turned to Jasper. "She said I can go, but I have to stay with you at all times and be back by 5:00. Is that okay with you?"

He smiled and took her hand. "Perfect! Let me tell my mom where we're going and we'll go." He pulled out his phone and called his mom. She gave her consent and they set out for downtown.

Jasper held Alice's hand the whole way into town and they talked about the upcoming school year and the Battle of the Bands and their friends. Pretty soon, they reached the main street. William's Bay was tiny compared to the surrounding towns, and none of them were very big themselves, so there wasn't much to pick from as far as restaurants went, but the few places they had were very nice.

The decided on the small cafe in the very center of town that served mostly tourists and people in town to enjoy the lake. Jasper led Ali to a table and asked if she would sit beside him instead of across from him. She slid into the bright blue booth and Jasper slid in beside her. The hostess handed them each a menu and assured them that their server would be right with them.

"Have anything you'd like, darlin'." Jasper told her.

"Everything looks good, Jas." Ali complained. "I can't make up my mind." She grinned up at him and he chuckled.

"I'd say order one of each, but I know darn well that you can't even eat one whole meal, let alone... how ever many are on this thing!" They laughed and she decided on a tuna-stuffed tomato with summer fruit. He thought he'd try the Cowboy burger and Ali asked him what made it a Cowboy burger.

"Does it come wearing a Stetson?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "No. It has Bar-B-Q sauce and onion rings on it."

She laughed. "Ooooo-kay... "

"Stop it!" he laughed. "I didn't make up the name! I just want to eat it."

The waitress came over and took their order, and they asked for crayons. The waitress teased them for a second about not being under twelve and brought them a cup of crayons with their drinks. The tables were covered in drawing paper instead of cloths, and they spent the next twenty minutes doodling on the table.

Ali was laughing at Jasper's drawing of a burger with a cowboy hat on and a lasso in his 'hand', when they felt someone stop at their table. Thinking it was the waitress, they looked up to see Lauren Stanley standing there with Matt Davidson. Jasper tried to be polite, but his forehead wrinkled into a scowl. Alice looked at Lauren with dread, but was happy to see Matt.

"Hi, Matt! I haven't seen you since the Fourth of July party. How are you?" Alice chirped, smiling.

His eyes lit up and he smiled. "I'm really good, Ali. How are you?"

"Great! It's been a busy summer, but I'm doing good." she told him.

Lauren was frowning at them, but noticed that Jasper didn't look too happy. "Hey, Jas." she purred. "How's your summer been?"

"Okay. How about yours, Lauren." he asked.

"Oh, it's been great!" she gushed. "I've been really busy, but I heard you guys are doing the Battle of the Bands this year at the State Fair. I'm planning on being there, and I can't wait to hear you play!"

"Uh.. thanks. We're really excited." he stated, straining to hear what Ali and Matt were talking about.

"Well, it's been great seeing you, Ali. You, too, Jasper." Matt said, getting ready to leave. "Maybe I'll see you at the fair."

"Okay, Matt. That would be fun." Alice told him, smiling and waving as they walked away.

Alice looked over at Jasper. "Uh-oh." she thought. He didn't look happy. She felt her stomach tilt and nausea rise in her throat. "Damn it! I will not let him upset me." she vowed, as she fought the nausea down. The waitress came with their food, and said she's be right back with more Iced Tea for Ali before walking off. Ali looked at her food and felt like she was going to be sick.

"Ali? Are you okay?" Jasper asked, bending to look into her face. She had gotten really pale and didn't look so good.

Alice smiled up at him. "Um... I just need... a minute." She told him and took a sip of her tea. "Please... don't get sick... don't get sick... " she told herself over and over.

"I'm sorry if I'm what upset you." Jasper said, surprising Ali. She looked at him with slight shock. "I know... I got jealous of Matt. I just don't like him... looking at you. It pisses me off for some reason. I'm sorry. I'm not mad, though. I swear." He smiled to show her he was okay.

Alice giggled at his goofy smile. He laughed. "Not very convincing, huh?"

She shook her head and he put his arm around her to give her a squeeze. They both laughed again and Ali's tummy seemed to calm down some.

After a few minutes of chatting and laughing, Ali was able to eat her lunch her and Jasper had a good time. Afterward, they decided to wander around town and see if anyone they knew, besides Lauren and Matt, were around. They went into a few shops and did some window shopping, William's Bay was smack dab in the middle of one of Wisconsin's major tourist areas after all, and they giggled and pointed out anything silly or funny to each other.

They were on there way down to the lake when Jasper heard his name being called. Turning, they spotted Tony and Shannon walking toward them. Alice let out a squeal and took off running before Jasper even registered it was them.

Alice launched herself at Tony and he caught her, laughing. "It's good to see you, too, Short Stuff."

Then, Tony set her down and she gave Shannon a big hug. "Oh my God! I can't believe you're both here! I've missed you so much!" Alice chirped, excitedly. "How long are you here for, Shannon?"

"Tony's parents are letting me stay with them for two weeks, Ali. We just got here this morning. His family's cabin is not far from where I live, so we've been together the whole summer. I am going to miss him so bad when school starts." she sighed, but grinned happily. "I see you and Jasper are still together. How are things going?"

Ali grinned. "We've had our ups and downs, but I'm happy. He takes good care of me and we're working out the hard stuff."

"Good for you. You guys make such a great pair! He's what? Six three?" She asked.

Alice nodded. "Six-two, six-three, somewhere in there. And, before you ask, I'm, four-eleven."

They both giggled and the boys glanced over at them from where they were talking. Jasper's eyes traveled over Ali and he heard Tony snicker. He looked at him, his brow raised in question.

"Still got it bad, huh?" Tony taunted him with a grin.

Jasper scowled, but his face broke into a grin soon after and he nodded. "I can't help myself." he said, and both he and Tony laughed.

"I know what you mean." Tony agreed, still laughing as his eyes wandered over Shannon. "Shannon is the best. I thank you every day for cutting in on me and Ali dancing." His eyes twinkled as he took in Jasper's expression while he watched Ali. "You know, I lied to you the night of the dance. I wanted Ali in a major way, but I knew Em would kill me, so I played it off. You called me on it, and introduced me to Shannon. I've been a very happy dude, ever since."

Jasper laughed. "I knew you were lying. Why do you think I acted like such an ass?" They both cracked up and saw the girls look over at them.

"Hey!" Tony said. "Shannon and I are going to the movies tonight. Why don't you and Ali come with us?"

"That would be cool." said Jasper. "I could see if my mom or Emmett will bring us back. You know I'm not old enough to drive yet."

"Well, either Emmett can bring you, and he and Rose can join us, or Shannon and I can come pick you up?" Tony offered.

"Thanks, Tony. How about if I ask Emmett first? I know he and Rose would love to see you. If they can't make it, I'll give you a call." Jasper told him. "You got the same cell phone number?"

"Yep." Tony told him. "Call me either way so I know." Jasper nodded and Tony shook his hand. "We'll see you tonight, then?"

"Sounds good! Talk to you later." Jas said.

Tony gave Ali a hug goodbye and told her about the movies. Her and Shannon both squealed and hugged and Tony led Shannon away still chuckling. Jasper grinned down at Alice.

"You are so freakin' adorable, you know that, don't you?" he asked her.

She grinned back at him. "If you say so." she quipped. She was so happy. This morning she felt as though the world was weighing on her shoulders and, today, she felt giddy and light as can be.

"Thank you for lunch, Jasper. It was really good. I had a lot of fun." Alice told him, taking the hand he offered.

"I had a lot of fun, too, Ali." he said. "You sure you feel like going to the movies tonight, sugar?"

She nodded. "I think it'll be fun. I'll treat to the movie since you treated to lunch." she offered.

Jasper shook his head. "No way. I pay, that's it." he stated.

Alice felt the familiar resentment creep into her, but tried to push it back down. Then Jasper added to his statement. "You are my girl, Ali. A gentleman always pays for his girl. My mom and dad both taught me that. Emmett always pays for Rose, too. That's just the way it is." he told her. "Thank you so much for your offer, though. It makes me feel great that you want to spend time with me so much that you would offer to pay."

Jasper bent forward and gave Ali a few soft kisses. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of looking at her or kissing her. "Shall we head home until it's time for the movies?" Jasper asked her and, at her nod, they headed home, chatting happily, hands entwined.


	53. Will He Ever Learn?

**A/N: I'm so sorry that I didn't update sooner. Two hot guys had my full attention the past few days, SnooZe (also known as HeMan) and Thor! Thanks for the... fun, Guys! wink-wink**

53.

Will He Ever Learn?

Emmett and Rose had plans for that night already, so Tony and Shannon came to pick Alice and Jasper up. They pulled into Jasper's driveway and he walked outside and whistled low.

"Tony, nice truck, man." he said, admiring Tony's dark blue pick-up truck.

"Thanks, Jas. I got it a few weeks ago. It's a couple years old, but it's in great shape." he told Jasper, getting out to show Jasper the finer points of his truck.

Shannon laughed and rolled her eyes. Knowing they'd be a while, she said, "I'm gonna' go get Ali." And headed next door.

Tony took Jasper around to the back and laughed at his expression when he spotted the air mattress in the pick-up's bed. "It's not for what you're thinking, Dude." Tony chuckled, but then smirked. "Although that could be... interesting." Both of them laughed and Jasper smacked Tony on he arm.

"Seriously, Dude, it's to sit on while we watch the movies at the Drive-in." Tony told him. "The Drive-is okay with you?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah... great, actually." Jasper answered with a smile. "We can catch up without disturbing anyone else. Besides, sitting in the back of your truck sounds fun."

"Cool. Ali won't mind, will she?" Tony wondered.

"Are you kidding? Ali is the most agreeable person... probably on earth. She'll be happy with whatever you guys want to do." Jasper told him.

"Shouldn't we at least ask her, Jas?" Tony asked him, looking contrite.

"Sure. Shannon probably already has, but we'll make sure she doesn't mind." Jasper answered him, slightly puzzled.

"It's just that, it's only right to ask her, Jas. You know, make sure she really wants to go?" Tony looked really serious. "Chicks hate when you _assume _they like something. They like it when you _ask_."

"O-kay... " Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm serious, Jas. Don't get pissed, but you drag Ali around like she doesn't have a mind of her own." Tony put his hands out when Jasper scowled. "I'm just trying to help, Dude."

Jasper sighed. "I know... thanks, Tony."

"No problem, man." Tony grinned as he saw the girls walking toward them. They were both gorgeous and he was so glad that he was in love with Shannon, cuz he'd be heart-broken seeing Alice with Jasper if he still felt about her the way he had this past year. He knew she was way too young for him, but he had been head-over-heels for her. He smiled fondly, remembering how he had tried so hard to just act like he was keeping her company, when all he'd wanted to do was kiss her. He looked over at Jasper and chuckled at the way he looked at Ali. His whole face was lit up and he had a dumb, vacant grin on his face.

Tony wondered if that was how he looked when he was watching Shannon. He looked back toward her and watched her as she strolled across the lawn and giggled with Alice. He wondered for the hundredth time what he had done to deserve her. She was so beautiful, her brilliant red hair shining in the light from the setting sun and her smile even more brilliant. He chuckled again when he and Jasper sighed at the same time and grinned at each other. They were a couple of lucky jerks, that's for sure.

The girls reached them and Jasper took Alice aside. "Ali, do you mind if we go to the Drive-in instead of the movie theater tonight?"

"Of course not, Jas. I think it will be fun." Alice said, smiling sweetly at him.

"I didn't just want to assume that it was okay without asking you." Jasper told her.

"Aw, Jas." she leaned in and hugged him. "Thank you for being so considerate."

Jasper looked at Tony over Alice's head with a grin and Tony winked at him.

"Well, shall we get going?" Tony asked, putting his arm around Shannon. He escorted her to the cab of the truck and Jasper went around to the other side with Alice. As he was about to help her into the passenger seat, Jasper noticed that Alice looked worried.

"Something wrong, Ali?" he asked her. Alice shook her head, but he could tell she was just telling him what he wanted to hear. He closed the door on the truck and bent down to look her in the face, his hands on her upper arms. "Ali? I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong."

Alice bit her lip and gazed at him with indecision. "Jas..." she whispered. "There is a... a... bed... in the back of Tony's truck." Jasper threw his head back and laughed out loud. When he finally looked back down at her, he had tears in his eyes. "Alice, you are so frickin' adorable." She was frowning at him and thinking about walking back home since he was laughing at her, when he cupped her face in both of his hands. "It's just to sit on while we watch the movies, Ali. Don't feel embarrassed, I wondered the same thing."

"You did?" she asked incredulously. He nodded and she started giggling. He grinned and opened the door and lifted her into the truck, getting in behind her.

The Drive-in's double features were both comedies and Alice smiled in relief. Jasper knew exactly what she was thinking when he saw her expression, and he mentally kicked himself for not asking Tony what movies they were seeing, before they got to the outdoor theater. It hadn't even crossed his mind to ask and he felt ashamed for being so selfish... again. He had to make himself remember to think of Ali first. He rubbed her shoulder and smiled down at her when she looked up at him.

Tony found a parking spot near the middle and backed his truck into it. He reached behind the seat and pulled out two full black garbage bags. "Here are some quilts in case we get cold." he said. They got out of the truck to get settled in the back, but decided to go and buy some snacks first.

"Since we didn't eat dinner, make sure you get something to eat, okay, Ali?" Jasper told her, worried that she would go hungry so as not to spend his money. "I mean it. I have plenty of money with me."

She smiled up gratefully and put her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. "Thank you, Jas." He was making her feel so special by being so thoughtful today. "Maybe I could get a hot dog. I am a little hungry."

Jasper got them each a hot dog, a large soda, a giant popcorn and a big box of M&Ms. "Jasper! How are we going to eat all of that?" Alice laughed, shaking her head at his silly grin.

Tony bought him and Shannon the same amount of snacks, and the four of them went back to the truck. They got settled in the back, the boys with their backs against the back of the truck's cab, and the girls between their legs, leaning back against their chests. They ate their snacks and chatted and watched the first movie, the four of them wondering if any other night had ever been so perfect.

When the first movie was over, the girls decided to walk up to the concession center to use the bathroom. Ali came out first and leaned against the wall to wait for Shannon.

"Ali? I didn't expect to see _you_ here." Alice looked up to see Matt Davidson walking over to her.

She swallowed hard and gave him a little smile. "Uh... hi Matt. Are you here with Lauren?" Ali asked.

"No. I'm not dating Lauren, Ali. We just ran into each other in town today, that's all." Matt told her, leaning close to her. "You here with Jas?" he wanted to know.

"Um.. yeah, I'm here with Jas." Alice offered. "Who are you here with?"

"Just some buddies. We didn't have anything else to do." he told her, moving a little closer.

"Uh... Matt? I have to go, Jas is waiting for me." Alice said, trying to politely separate herself from him. She knew that Jasper would be very angry if he saw them together. Before she could step away, Matt put his hands against the wall on each side of her and leaned in.

"The movie won't start for a couple minutes, Ali. You have time to talk to me for a minute, don't you?" Matt asked her, smiling sweetly at her.

"I... suppose." Alice gave in, not wanting to hurt him, but not feeling comfortable with him, either. Just then, she cringed as she heard a smooth voice with a slight southern twang.

"There you are, Ali. I was starting to get... worried." Jasper told Alice, looking at Matt. Alice saw Lauren standing behind him and realized that she'd been set up. She couldn't understand why Matt would go along with Lauren's plan to humiliate her and she looked between him and Jasper.

Matt had pulled away from the wall and stood facing Jasper. "Hey, Jas. What's up?" he said.

"Not much, Matt. What's up with you?" Jasper answered, trying to be civil.

"Just hangin' out and... uh... talking... with Ali." Matt smirked at Jasper, trying to imply that there was more than talking going on.

"Well, that was nice of you to visit with Ali while she was waiting for Shannon." Jasper said through slightly gritted teeth. Then he looked at Ali. "You all done here, darlin'?" He asked her. She nodded and moved over by him. He put his arm around her and hugged her to his side, looking straight at Matt. "See ya' round, Matt." Jasper called, escorting Alice away from him.

"I'm so glad you came when you did." Ali told him, "I wasn't comfortable with Matt standing so close to me. He told me he wasn't here with Lauren, but I saw her standing behind you."

Jasper didn't say anything and took his arm from around her as soon as they got outside. Alice looked questioningly up at him, but he didn't look at her and neither of them spoke.

"Great!" Alice thought, "He cannot be mad at me because Matt came over by me." But she knew he was. They reached the truck and Jasper wordlessly lifted Alice into the nest of quilts. He climbed in behind her and sat with his back to the cab, but he didn't say anything to her or move his legs so she could sit down. Alice sighed, "this thing with Matt was getting old." she thought. "How could he believe Lauren over her?

Ali just looked at Jasper as he sat there with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at the silly dancing popcorn on the screen. Ali's head began to hurt and she decided that she was done with dating. As soon as they got home, she was not going anywhere with Jasper ever again. She put her head down and willed herself not to cry. He was such an ass, she told herself, and she wouldn't miss him. Besides, school would start in a couple more weeks and she'd hardly see him any way.

Alice mumbled that she had to get something and crawled back out of the truck. She walked out into the dark before Jasper even realized what she was doing. She just needed to get away from him for a minute so she wouldn't cry in front of him. She walked toward the very back of the outdoor theater area where there weren't a lot of vehicles, listening to the gravel crunch beneath her feet. Her eyes were swimming with tears and she stumbled over a rise in the gravel. She fell to her knees and covered her eyes with her hands, letting the tears fall. She just couldn't do this any more, she thought. This emotional roller coaster was too much to ask of anybody.

Alice jumped when she felt hands on her waist and was lifted into a pair of strong arms and pulled against a hard chest. She snuggled into Jasper and soaked his shirt front with her crying. As the tears subsided, she realized that the chest she was snuggled against wasn't as tall as usual. She cautiously looked up just as she heard an angry voice.

"God damn it, Matt! Get your hands off of her!" Jasper growled, pulling Alice away from Matt. Alice took in the smirk on Matt's face and the huge wet spot on the front of his shirt. "Can't you get it through your head that she doesn't want you?" Jasper taunted.

Alice felt the bruising grip of Jasper's hands on her arms as he yanked her against his tall, strong frame. She pulled away from him and he scowled at her as she backed away, looking from one to the other.

"Looks like she don't want you, either, Jas." Matt sneered, a gloating smile covering his lips, his eyes loving the expression on Jasper's face.

Jasper let out a snarl and launched himself at Matt. The two of them went down in the gravel and started wrestling around. Jasper landed a punch to Matt's face and he grunted. He pushed Jasper off of him and got to his feet, landing a kick to Jasper's side. Jasper rolled away and jumped to his feet, as well. They circled each other growling and snarling like a couple of wild animals.

Alice watched in horror, her drying tears stiffening her face. They were fighting over her like she was some booby prize. They never even took into consideration what she wanted or thought. Suddenly, she was bone weary. Her head felt like it was too heavy for her neck and her legs felt like they couldn't support her much longer. She just wanted to go home and end this once and for all.

Alice heard a snicker behind her and, looking over her shoulder, saw Lauren watching the boys fight with an evil light of satisfaction in her eyes. Alice had known when she saw Lauren earlier at the concession stand that she was responsible for Matt being there. How she had known that her and Jasper would be here, she had no idea, but it was no coincidence that they both just happened to be here tonight.

Soon, a few of Matt's friends had gathered around to watch the fighting and Alice heard Tony's voice as he came running up.

"Matt! Jasper! Stop! What are you guys fighting for?" Tony hollered as he attempted to stop their fierce battle. Another of their mutual friends joined his attempt and they finally succeeded in wrenching them apart.

Jasper's face was red and his hair hung over his face, but Alice could see the fierce look in his eyes and the hard set of his teeth. He was breathing hard and straining to get away from Tony so he could get back to Matt. Matt, on the other hand, looked like he had enjoyed their fight way too much. His smirk was firmly in place and he was having way too much fun taunting Jasper. He said something to Dylan Shane, who had him by the arms, and Dylan let him go. Matt pushed his hair back with his hand and, still smirking at Jasper, licked his bleeding lip.

"What the hell's the matter with you guys?" Tony barked. "I thought you were friends. What could you possibly be fighting over?"

At his words, both guys looked over at Alice. She shook her head and slowly started backing away again, her eyes huge, her hands up in front of her and everyone looking at her now. Tony looked at her with sympathy and cautiously let Jasper go.

Jasper's face lost it's fierce expression, but now his features showed his anguish. "Ali... I'm sorry." He pleaded as he flipped his hair out of his eyes. He walked toward her carefully, his eyes begging her to forgive him yet again. She just watched his face as he approached, the weariness enveloping her, and her shoulders slumped. He finally stood in front of her, his hand on the back of his neck, his face full of shame.

"I'm sorry, Ali." he whispered to her. "I just... I... I have no... excuse. I... shouldn't have fought with him. I shouldn't have... been mad in the first place." He looked down at the ground. "I am sorry. I just wanted to enjoy the drive-in with you... I didn't mean to mess it up." He looked up at her again, his face swathed in sorrow, as he took another step toward her and she stepped another step away. "I saw him... touching you, and... when he said you... didn't want me... I just... lost it..." He took another step toward her, his hands out to his sides. "I'm sorry... Ali?" He looked so pitiful and her heart twisted. She took a step forward and he reached out and crushed her to him, frantically kissing the side of her neck and face, whispering over and over. "Thank you... thank you..."

Tony looked at Matt. "Give it a rest, man. Can't you see she loves him?"

Matt looked down, his embarrassment showing on his face. "Yeah... I don't know why... " Then his head came up and he looked at Lauren. Realization flooded his features, he'd been played. Lauren smirked at him and he shook his head. After all the years of knowing her, he never thought he'd fall into one of her schemes. He had let his attraction to Alice color his common sense when Lauren had told him that Ali had said she liked him and was done with Jasper. He felt like the biggest idiot.

Matt walked over by where Jasper and Alice were still hugging. "Uh... Jas?" Matt said quietly. Jasper turned to look at him, his face cautious. "I'm sorry, man." He looked over at Lauren and Jasper followed with his own eyes. They looked back at each other and Matt continued, "I realized I got played. You'd think I'd know better, but... " He just shrugged, helplessly, and Jasper put out his hand.

"It's OK, man. I fell for one of her schemes not too far back, myself." They shook hands and Ali smiled in relief, glad the blame was where it belonged and not on her any more.

All of their other friends gathered around, clapping the two guys on the back and murmuring that they were glad they were all friends again. Everyone wandered back to their cars and Jasper looked down at Alice.

"You okay?" he asked. At her nod, he wondered, "Do you want to watch the other movie, or... " He looked over at Tony.

"Hey, whatever you guys wanna' do, is all right with me." He said, his hands held up on either side of him.

Ali, not wanting to ruin everyone's night any more, smiled. "I'd like to stay for the other movie, Jas." she said, and let a smiling Jasper lead her back to Tony's truck. The boys talked on the walk back and Ali saw Shannon standing next to the truck waiting anxiously. When they reached her, she expressed her concern for Jasper's condition and then asked Ali if she was all right.

"I'm fine, Shannon. A little stressed... " She chuckled lightly and Shannon nodded and put her arm around her.

"We can go home, if you want, Ali. It's not a problem." Shannon offered.

Alice shook her head. "No, it's okay. It'll be nice to watch another movie and get this whole thing off our minds."

Shannon nodded and looked over at Tony. He smiled gently at her and motioned for everyone to get back into the truck as the lights dimmed for the second feature. He helped Shannon into the back and got in after her. Jasper lifted Alice into the back, stopping to kiss the top of her head, and climbed in after her, as well. The boys settled back against the cab and helped the girls get settled in front of them again.

Jasper leaned forward and whispered to Ali. "Are you sure you're all right, darlin'?"

She turned around and smiled. "Yeah. I'm okay, Jas." she told him. Then she pleaded, "Please don't fight any more. It's... terrifying... and doesn't solve anything."

Jasper looked ashamed. "I know. As soon as I started in on him, I knew it was a mistake. I let my emotions rule me... again. I really am sorry, Ali." His look was contrite. Just that morning, she had tried to break up with him, and here he was giving her more reasons to end their relationship. He didn't think he could stand it if she left him. She had become his whole world in such a short time. Well, that wasn't true, he knew, she had been a big part of his world his whole life. He had always been concerned with her, only now, his thoughts of her were consuming. He thought of her during baseball, during band practice, in the shower, before bed... even when he was with her, he thought of her. He shook his head, he was crazy over her, and he didn't mind one bit.

Alice settled back against the protective strength of Jasper's chest and let out a sigh as she relaxed into him. He grinned down at the top of her head and placed a gentle kiss there.

The movie was getting good and Jasper absent-mindedly stroked Ali's arms. She shivered and he looked down at her in concern.

"Are you cold, sugar?" Jasper murmured in her ear. She shivered again and nodded to cover up the fact that she wasn't really cold. Jasper reacher over and pulled one of the quilts over her. She looked over her shoulder at him with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Jas." she said.

"You're welcome, darlin'." he breathed in her ear, the scent of her hair and skin driving him crazy. She shivered again and he chuckled, rubbing her arms under the quilt. She unconsciously scooted back against him and felt his emerging hardness. With a small sound, she wiggled to pull away, but he wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her still.

"Shhhhhh... don't move." he whispered. "It'll be okay in a minute." He wasn't really sure if it would be, but he loved holding her close. He reached up and took hold of the end of her waist-length braid, undoing the band holding it together and running his hands through the long lengths to separate them. He fanned her hair out around her shoulders and buried his face into its fragrant softness.

"This is heaven." he thought, feeling her melt against him. He pushed her hair aside and started nibbling on her neck and she shivered and shifted against his most sensitive area.

"How am I going to control myself if you keep doing that?" he murmured in her ear. "It's hard enough controlling myself around you, without you goading me on."

She made a little gasping sound and turned to look at him, again. He grinned at her and let out a chuckle. She scowled at him, but her lips were fighting a grin. He was so darn hopeless, but she was starting to think that, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

Jasper hugged Ali to him, relieved she was giving him, yet, another chance, and vowed that he would be extra careful to control himself from now on.


	54. Turning the Tables

54.

Turning the Tables

After Tony and Shannon dropped Jasper and Alice off at home, Jasper asked Ali if they could talk for a few minutes and they settled into the bench swing on the Hales' front porch.

Jasper took hold of Alice's hands and cleared his throat a few times.

Finally, he said, "Ali, I know I don't deserve so many... second chances... but I want you to know that I appreciate you putting up with me. I really do love you, Ali." He looked deep into her eyes. "I'm not just... crushing on you... or... in it because I want to... get in your... pants. I am genuinely in love with you." He brought their hands up to his mouth and kissed hers. "I want us to be together forever. I pray every night that you feel the same way."

He searched her face and asked her tentatively, "Do you, Ali? Do you feel the same way?" He covered her mouth with his finger. "Think about what you want to say first. Please? I want you to tell me the truth, exactly how you feel. Don't just tell me what you think I want to hear. I will accept whatever... you say." He gulped at the thought of what she could say and held his breath, his eyes scanning her face.

"Well..." she began looking down at her lap. "I... I... Well, sometimes... I'm afraid of you. I don't know what will happen next... and I worry... but I do love you, Jas." She looked up into his eyes. "My heart nearly... bursts with it. I feel happy when you're happy... but it... scares me... when you get mad. I'm not used to you being like that. You were always nice to me when we were younger, and I always felt... safe with you. Now... sometimes... your eyes, they get all... dark and scary... like you want to hurt someone... hurt... me." Alice shook her head. "I feel like I'm being given some kind of... I don't know... test, or something. To see if I'm... worthy."

Jasper looked down at their intertwined hands, feelings of shame washing over him. "I'm so sorry, Ali. You know I would never hurt you, don't you?" He looked up at her and she nodded. "I don't know why I act the way I do. I just... I get so mad sometimes... I don't remember ever really getting mad like this when we were little. Now, it seems like I'm mad all the time. I just feel so... frustrated, and... insecure."

"Insecure? You?" Alice asked him incredulously. "But, Jas... you... you're perfect!" Jasper snorted and kissed her forehead. "No, really! You're so handsome... you sing... really well, and play guitar... you're good at baseball and football. You get good grades and everyone likes you. You have so many friends... why do you feel insecure? I don't... understand."

Jasper looked into her puzzled eyes. "Ali, it may seem that way to you... that I'm perfect, but... believe me, I'm not. I'm incredibly lucky... and very thankful for it... but I always feel like someone better is going to come along. Someone who doesn't forget to treat you like the sweet angel you are, and who never yells at you or... pushes you to do things... someone who is way better for you... better than... me."

"Jas..." Alice began.

"Let me finish, Ali." Jasper said gently, tears glistening in his eyes. "Maybe it'll be Matt... or some other guy... but I promise you... no one will ever love you as much as I do. No one. I just need to learn to... control myself. I will, I know I will. By the time we are old enough to get married and start our own life together, I will be in control. I promise you." He brushed the hair off her face and caressed her cheek. "I will not let you down, Ali. I won't."

Alice cupped his face in her hands and stared into his eyes. "I know you won't, Jas. I know you will be everything to me. I am still learning things, too, you know. We are both still growing and, by the time we are adults, we'll have worked everything out. It'll be okay."

Jasper smiled at her and brought his lips to hers for a gentle kiss. Pulling back, he said, "I love you, Alice Cullen."

She grinned at him. "I love you, Jasper Hale."

The rest of July passed quickly, and in relative peace and soon, it was August. Baseball was almost over and Brent and Edward were relieved. With the Battle of the Bands coming up, they wanted to practice as much as possible and baseball took up valuable time.

"Thank, God, tonight's our last game." Brent commented, messing around on his drums in the Hales' garage.

"I know! We should be practicing tonight." Edward complained, eyeing his keyboard.

"It's only one night, you guys." Jasper said, rolling his eyes and picking up his baseball glove. "It won't make that much difference."

"You don't realize how important this is, do you, Jas?" Brent exclaimed. "Famous bands have been discovered at this event. There could be record producers... agents... talent scouts... the possibilities are... endless!"

Jasper shook his head and chuckled at his enthusiasm. Brent scowled at him and Edward gave him a questioning look.

"I'm serious, J!" Brent told him, exasperated. "You know we're good enough."

"Sorry, Brent, I'm just not that worried about being discovered, is all." Jasper conceded. "I know we're good, but I just want to go out there and have a good time. I'm actually looking forward to the game tonight."

Edward decided to intervene. "Guys, we have to play tonight no matter what, so, we might as well make the best of it, whether we are looking forward to it, or not." He looked between Jasper and Brent. "We will do great in Milwaukee, and we will all have a good time."

Brent nodded and Jasper grinned. "You're right, we'll just make the most of it." Brent agreed. "I just... I really want to make it, ya' know? I want the dream... the whole thing." He looked at Jasper. "Don't you?"

Jasper pondered what to say for a minute, then he slowly shook his head. "No, Brent. No, I don't. Sorry. I'm going to school, to Northwestern to be a doctor, and marry Ali."

"Jas! You could give Ali everything. Think of the possibilities." Brent tried to convince him. "A beautiful house, cars, vacations... anything she could ever want."

"Except me." Jasper added defensively, pointing to his chest. "If I'm out touring with the band, I won't be around to enjoy all of that stuff, will I?"

"Like your dad is ever home." Brent interjected, moving close to Jasper, his hands on his hips. "At least you could take Ali with you on the road. She couldn't live at the hospital with you."

"Well, you're dad is never home, either, besides, I'm not staying at the hospital. I'm going to open a private practice so I can be home every night with Ali." Jasper informed him, putting his face closer to Brent's.

"Guys!" Edward interrupted. "Come on, we'll worry about it when we have to. Until then, I thought we were just going to enjoy the music."

Yeah, you're right." Brent agreed, backing away from Jasper. "Sorry, J."

Jasper bumped knuckles with him. "Me, too, man. No worries."

"Let's just play a great game tonight and have a great concert this weekend," Edward said, patting them both on the back. "and enjoy both of them."

Emmett came into the garage to let the boys know it was time to go.

"Is Ali coming, Em?" Jasper asked him hopefully.

Emmett shrugged apologetically. "I don't know, Jas, I didn't hear. Mom and Dad are coming... I'll go ask her, if you want."

Jasper shook his head. "That's all right. Thanks, Em. We should probably get going so we're not late."

The four boys walked over to the Cullens' to get Emmett's Jeep. As they were getting in, the front door flew open and Alice came running out, her long hair flying behind her.

"Jas! Jas! Wait!" she called. Jasper stopped and turned toward her with a grin. She launched herself into his arms and he caught her easily, a big grin on his face.

"What is it, Supersonic?" he chuckled. She tilted her face and looked at him sternly, hanging onto his shoulders.

"Maybe, I don't want to tell you now." She taunted. "I was hurrying so I wouldn't miss you."

Jasper put his forehead to hers. "You are always going at full-speed, Ali." He laughed, cuddling her to his chest. "Please tell me your news."

She gave him a sassy grin. "I am coming to the game with Mom and Dad. Will you take me out for ice cream afterward?"

"I would love to, darlin'. Shall we see if anyone else wants to come?" he asked her quietly.

Alice shook her head and her grin turned wicked. "Just the two of us. Maybe we can stop at the park on the way home and, you know, _look at the stars_."

His eyes darkened at her response and he whined under his breath. "Ali! Don't tease me... not before the game." She giggled and he scowled playfully. "How am I supposed to concentrate if I'm thinking about... _the stars_?" He asked her nibbling on her neck and making her squeal.

"Come on! We gotta' go!" hollered Emmett. "Besides, you two are disgusting!"

Alice and Jasper laughed as they looked over at Emmett sitting in the Jeep. He was putting his finger in his mouth like he was gagging himself. Edward and Brent laughed, too, and Jasper gave Ali a soft kiss and set her down.

"I'll see you in a little while, Angel." He got into the Jeep and called with a wave as they backed out. "Love you!"

Alice smiled happily at him and waved. "Love you!" She watched as the Jeep went down the street and wrapped her arms around her middle in a satisfied hug. She turned and went into the house, smiling and humming.

"Alice, come on. Let's sit over here." Rosalie called, already walking up the bleachers at the baseball field. Alice hurried up behind her and beckoned for her parents and the Hales to follow them. All six of them got settled and watched the Walworth County baseball team warming up.

Ali spotted Jasper and sighed at how handsome he looked throwing the ball back and forth with Emmett. They had been so happy the past couple weeks. There had been no fights, no jealousy, and hardly any nightmares. They had made out a few times and, though Jasper had been excited, he had controlled himself and had just enjoyed being with her. She didn't think she'd ever been happier.

Rose handed Ali a Coke from the small cooler she carried, and they settled in to watch the game. The boys took their places and Emmett came up into the stands to sit next to Rose.

"Jas is looking really good tonight." Emmett told them enthusiastically. "His arm is totally loose and he is kickin' ass. They should have this game wrapped up."

Rose and Alice looked at him and burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked, looking lost.

"Nothing." Rose said, and turned to grin at Ali. Emmett was so into baseball and they always laughed when he talked about it. It was the only thing he really took a hundred percent seriously.

Jasper was on fire and struck out the opposing team on the fourth batter, with the only hitter on first base.

Walworth County scored 4 runs, Brent bringing the others in on a home run. The crowd went wild and Jas was back on the pitcher's mound. He made quick work of the batters, only allowing one run, and scored a home run his turn at bat. Emmett was jumping around like his pants were on fire and the rest of their group were screaming and cheering.

Walworth County was ahead, 9 to 1, and Jasper was not letting anything past him. They won the game 11 to 2 in record time, and the Walworth County bunch swarmed the field. Everyone was clapping Jasper on the shoulder and congratulating him, but his eyes desperately searched for Alice. When he finally spotted her standing by the fence, his face lit up and he grabbed his bag and ran over to her.

Alice greeted him with a big grin. "Jas! You were amazing!"

"Thanks, Ali!" he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Ready to go get ice cream now?"

He looked so eager and Alice laughed. "Jas! Don't you want to celebrate with everyone first?"

He grabbed her hand, shook his head, and waved goodbye to their family as he led her toward the exit of the baseball field. Alice giggled and followed behind, admiring the way Jasper's baseball pants clung to his cute behind.

Once they were out the gate, Jasper pulled her up to walk beside him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They strolled along chatting and Ali felt so content and loved. They arrived at the ice cream parlor down the street from the field and Jasper ordered them each an ice cream cone, slung his bag over his shoulder and grabbed her hand again as they set off down the street for the park.

Ali was in heaven. She licked her chocolate ice cream cone and glanced up at Jasper. Her eyes went wide when she saw how he was staring at her. She watched melting ice cream run down over his fingers and she started to giggle. He looked down and tried to lick the melting ice cream off. He looked over at Alice again and his eyes went wide this time.

Alice was licking up and down her cone with exaggeration and rolling her eyes.

"Oh! This is sooooooo good." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and started giggling again.

Jasper had a shocked look on his face. "Alice!"

His exclamation just made her giggle more and he grabbed her to him for a sloppy, ice cream kiss.

"You are getting very bold there, Miss Cullen." He gave her a wicked look and she giggled, again. He had a very pleased look on his face and Ali grinned as they finished their ice cream. She was eating the last of her cone when they reached the park.

Jasper looked at her questioningly, "Still wanna' look at the stars, darlin'?" She nodded and grinned. "It won't be dark for a while, you know?" he continued, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I know." She said, giggling. "We don't have to, if you don't want to." she offered, grinning at him.

"It's okay, Ali. I want to stay with you, believe me." Jasper told her and they walked into the park, hand in hand. Jasper led her on a stroll around the pond and they laughed at the ducks and talked about the baseball game.

"You were really pitching great tonight, Jas." Ali said admiringly. "I couldn't believe how fast you went through the other team."

Jasper looked at her sheepishly. "I was trying to hurry... to be with you."

Alice laughed out loud. "You mean I should've asked you to go... star-gazing... more often so you would pitch better?"

Jasper chuckled. "I don't know about better... but faster." He hugged Alice to him and gazed down at her happy face.

"I love you, Ali." he said. "I really do."

She smiled shyly up at him. "I know, Jas. I love you, too." She squeezed him hard and laid her head on his chest. He looked down at the top of her head and smiled affectionately. He didn't know what he had done to deserve her, but he was so glad he had. He stroked her hair and bent down to smell her.

She looked up at him. "You know, I meant to ask you about that." She saw his questioning look and felt a little nervous. "Um... why do you... smell me?"

He grinned. "Because you smell so good. It's like... I don't know... when you go to the bakery and they're baking cookies and bread. You just want to stand there and breathe in the smell. It's intoxicating."

Alice blushed, but looked pleased. "Is it just my... scent... or any girl's scent?"

Jasper wanted to answer honestly, but didn't want to upset her, so he hesitated a second." Well... I've thought that other girls have smelled good..."

"Like Savannah?" Alice broke in, pulling away from him with a frown.

He grabbed onto her and held her tight. "No... well, I don't remember if she smelled good, or not. But my mom smells good, and your mom, and Rose, but, your scent is... I don't know... I just can't get enough of it."

She looked up at him, searching his face, searching for the truth. "You don't remember if _she_ smelled good?"

He shook his head, blushing. "I don't. I remember how... what we did... felt, but I don't remember that much about... her personally." Alice looked doubtful and Jasper rushed to reassure her. "I wasn't lying to you when I told you that I never... cared about her, Ali. I never would've... done those things with her... if she hadn't started it and I hadn't gotten... carried away. I would've waited for you, Ali. I will still wait for you."

"I... I... don't know..." Alice sputtered, looking unconvinced.

"It's all right, Ali." Jasper tried to reassure her. "I'm not in a hurry. We have the rest of our lives."

She dimpled up at him and he let out a sigh of relief, glad he had handled that all right.

They continued to stroll along the path surrounding the pond and Alice decided that she wanted to sit under the Willow tree furthest from the road. She led Jasper over to it and settled underneath it.

Jasper looked at her questioningly. "Ali, we're not going to be able to see the stars from under here, plus, it's not going to be dark enough to see the stars for at least another half hour."

She looked hesitantly up into his eyes and blushed. She wanted him to kiss her, but now that they were here, she wasn't sure if he would think her too bold.

He smiled at her, bending down to look into her eyes. "What, Ali? What's on that clever mind of yours?"

"Well," she started, looking at his chin, not sure how to continue. "I thought... maybe we could... pass the time like we did... the last time we were here."

He lifted her chin with his fingers. She raised her eyes to his and saw his wicked eyes and lop-sided grin. "I think that is an excellent idea." It was his turn to blush. "I was... hoping... when you suggested... star-gazing... that's what you meant."

She giggled and wiggled her eyebrows like he had done so many times in the past. "Hence, the super fast baseball game?"

He grinned, plopping down onto the ground and his mouth swooped down on hers. Alice let out a squeak of surprise and started to giggle again. Jasper smiled against her lips and finally pulled back to look at her. He grinned at her giggles and stroked her cheek.

"You can't fault my enthusiasm." He joked. Her giggles turned to laughter as he started nibbling on her neck. Her peals of laughter echoed around the park and she pushed him away playfully. He laughed at her and took off his baseball cap, pushing his hair off his face.

Alice's face sobered and she reached up to run her fingers through his long, silky blonde hair. He stilled, the smile falling off his lips as he became mesmerized by the feel of her fingers through his hair. She looked at his face and was startled by the intensity of his stare. His eyes darkened and she held her breath as he lowered his lips to hers. Alice let out a breathy, little moan at the feel of Jasper's lips on hers. He groaned in return and deepened the kiss, wrapping her in his arms and bringing her flush to his chest.

"Ali" he breathed into her mouth. "God..."

Alice let out a little whimper and he pulled back in alarm to look at her. "Don't stop, Jasper." Alice complained, trying to pull him back to her.

Jasper came back to her mouth, lowering her back onto the grass. It was dusk and starting to get fairly dark in the park, but Jasper had no intention of giving the whole town a show. A little necking was one thing, but he kept his hands on her arms or in her hair. As hard as it was, he had to remain in control.

Alice gasped and moaned, raking her fingers through his hair over and over again. She was making it really difficult for Jasper to refrain from ripping off her clothes, but he managed, and chuckled at her ardor. It seemed his Little Darlin' was losing her fear of him... finally.

Soon, Jasper felt he could take no more. His nether region was throbbing painfully and he was losing what little control his fifteen year old mind could retain. He ripped himself away from her pouty lips and intoxicating smell, and drew in several deep, cleansing breaths.

Looking back down at her in the dim light, his breath caught in his throat. She gazed up at him with soft, heavy eyes, her gorgeous, dark hair spread around her like a halo, and the temptation to dive back into her lips almost overwhelmed him.

Her lips were parted as she softly panted. "Jasper..." she breathed, and he made himself get up off of the ground entirely. She sat up with a frown, her hair falling all around her. "What are you doing?" She asked him, a frown between her brows. "Did I do something wrong?"

He ran his hand through his hair a few times, taking a few steps to distance himself from her.

"No, Ali. You did everything right." he chuckled, looking over at her. "That's the problem."

She looked puzzled, but then her face flooded with understanding. "Oh!" Embarrassment replaced understanding and she looked away from him shyly. Then her eyes met his again and he could see her love for him shining there.

She looked so adorable and Jasper groaned and took a small step toward her before halting and running both hands through his hair, slightly pulling at it to distract himself from her allure. Resisting her was proving to be much more difficult now that she was more willing.

His eyes widened as Alice got up on her knees and crawled over to him. He looked down at her, puzzled, until she sat up on her knees at his feet, her chin inches from his raging 'enthusiasm', and looked up at him from beneath her lashes.

Jasper took a tentative step back, she couldn't be thinking what he thought she was thinking, and Alice put her hand on his leg to stop him. His eyes went even wider when she ran her hand up toward the juncture of his thighs.

"I... we... um... I could try..." Alice began, but stopped, unsure of what to say. Jasper was slowly shaking his head, looking down at her, shock taking over his entire face.

"No! No Ali... just... no." Jasper told her, still shaking his head.

Alice sat back on her heels, her lower lip jutted out, her face in a full-on pout. "You let... _her._" She told him, lowering her eyes to the ground. Then she perked back up and looked up at him, again, her face hopeful. "Maybe I could just... you know... touch you?"

"Oh my God!" he groaned, looking up toward the sky, his hands in his hair again.


	55. Fight Your Battles

55.

Fight Your Battles

Jasper's eyes went wide, looking down at Alice in front of him on her knees. "What the hell was Alice doing?" He took a step back from her, but she stopped him with a hand on his leg. When she ran her hand up his thigh, he almost jumped out of his skin.

"I... we... I could try..." Alice began, but stopped, unsure of what to say. Jasper was slowly shaking his head, looking down at her, shock filling his face and mind.

"No! No Ali... just... no." Jasper told her, shaking his head and moving away from her slightly.

Alice sat back on her heels, her lower lip jutted out, her face in a full-on pout. "You let... _her._" She told him, lowering her eyes to the ground. Then she perked back up and looked up at him, again, her face shining hopefully. "Maybe I could just... you know... touch you?"

Jasper didn't think his eyes could get any wider. His mouth fell open and he stared at her beautiful face smiling up at him. He felt twitching in his pants and hadn't realized just how tight his baseball pants could actually get.

"Oh my God!" he groaned, looking up toward the sky, his hands in his hair again. "Alice, you're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

She giggled and he looked down, incredulously. "You're... laughing? I don't see anything funny about this situation." he told her, stepping back, yet again.

"But, Jas..." she enticed, her eyes big and luminous in her face. "I don't want to stop kissing you. I like it."

"Oh, God... Ali!" he groaned. Her eyes were shining innocently up at him and he suddenly knew he had to leave. "Ali, I have to go." He picked his hat and bag up off the ground, turned and began to walk slowly away from her.

"What?" he heard her say, dumbfounded.

Alice scrambled to her feet, her face showing her bewilderment. She hurried after him and watched as he walked carefully along the path.

"Are you all right?" Alice asked. Jasper looked down at her, still trying to walk normally.

"No, Alice, I'm not all right." he half-growled at her. Her eyes went wide in alarm and she hung back for a second. She took in a deep breath, squared her shoulders and caught up with him again.

"Well, what's wrong with you?" she demanded. "Are you mad at me now?"

He stopped and turned to her. "Alice." he said, matter-of-factly, "I am in pain. Okay?"

Her face was instantly full of concern. "Jasper! What happened? Why didn't you tell me?"

Jasper took a breath and tried to be patient. "Ali, I am always in pain after we... make out."

Understanding colored her face. "Oh..." she interpreted his meaning. Her face cleared and her bright eager expression returned. "See?" she chirped. "I can help you with that. Come back under the tree..." she grabbed his arm and made to lead him back.

Jasper jerked his arm away from her tiny hands and scowled at her. "Damn it, Ali! Stop it!" She took a step back from him. "It's hard enough to resist you without you saying stuff like that."

"But I mean it, Jas." she explained. "I want to... try... you know..."

Jasper swore under his breath and started walking toward the exit again. Alice came up next to him and grabbed his arm to stop him. He turned toward her with a snarl.

"That's enough, Alice!" he gritted out, clenching his fists.

"No, it's not, Jasper!" she hollered at him, hands on her hips, eyes flashing. "I can make my own decisions, I'm not a baby any more. Besides," she continued. "you let _her_ do it."

Jasper bent down, his nose practically touching hers, his face twisted in anger. "Yeah? Well she was pretty persuasive... and experienced. You, are not. If you think I'm going to let you do... that.. here in the park... under a tree... you don't know me very well."

"Is that it?" Alice gritted out with a frown. "Because I'm not experienced? You think I won't be good enough at it?"

His face showed his impatience. "No, that's not what I meant..." he started.

"What _did_ you mean, Jasper Hale? I'm sure Matt would let me practice on him, then I'd be _experienced_." She gasped, her eyes going wide, as Jasper dropped his bag and grabbed both of her arms in a tight grip.

"Don't say that, Alice." he growled, pulling her up on her tiptoes. "If you ever get close enough to Matt to even breathe on him... I'll... I'll..."

Alice stared up at him with a terrified expression on her face. He took a couple of deep breaths and slowly relaxed his grip on her. His eyes searched her face, remorse filling his.

"Sorry, Ali." he muttered. He took his hands off of her and slumped in defeat. At least his pants felt normal again, he thought, suppressing the inappropriate chuckle rising in his throat. He shook his head and ran his hands over his face and through his hair.

Jasper felt Alice's eyes on him, but he was at a total loss as to what to say. Finally, he looked down at her and was surprised to see her smiling at him.

"What the hell?" he thought, she was full of surprises today.

"Feel better now?" Alice asked him. Jasper nodded his head, wondering what she was up to now.

"Good." she sighed. "Sorry I said that about Matt, that was low, but there is nothing wrong with us... touching each other. That's what you told me. We love each other... and we're going to get married... that's what you said... so what is the difference if we're... together... now, or five years from now?"

Alice looked up at him expectantly, but he was still at a loss for words. She was surprising him more and more every day, and he had no idea how to handle her.

"Um... Ali, we are too young to be _together_... really." He held up his hand when she started to interrupt. "I know what you're going to say... I know I probably confuse you, because I'm confusing the hell out of myself, but I want this to be perfect." He gestured between them with his hand. "I want you to be happy with me and I don't want to do anything... like that... before you are really ready."

"Well, who are you to judge when I am ready, or not?" she asked him, irritation making her voice rise slightly.

"You just turned thirteen, Ali. Everyone knows that is too young." Jasper explained like she was a child. "I know I'm making you mad, but I'm trying really hard to... do everything right."

She exhaled in resignation, she had thought it would make him happy if she was more open to physical intimacy, but obviously he was only open to it with Savannah. Before he had gotten so good at controlling himself, she had shied away from him, but now she found that she liked the feelings his kisses brought out in her, and she was curious to find out more.

Alice found herself thinking more and more about the morning when their parents had gone to Milwaukee and Jasper had come over to her house. She had thought he had come over to have sex with her and, though he was upset that she had thought that, he'd kissed her and touched her and made her feel wonderful. She knew people had sex because it felt good, but, when she experienced the feelings herself, she hadn't known what to expect and it had scared the hell out of her at first. Afterward, she had finally understood why Jasper was always trying to touch her, but now that she was ready to experiment some, he was all in control and telling her what to do again.

With a sigh, Alice told him with a tentative smile, "All right, Jas." She took his hand in hers. "Ready to go home, then?"

"Sure." he said, squeezing her hand as they started down the path again. "Maybe we can go swimming when we get home." He grinned happily when she agreed and swung their hands between them, making her giggle.

"That was close." Jasper thought with relief. Another minute and he would've had her pinned beneath him on the grass with their clothes thrown all around them. He had gotten totally enraged when she had brought up practicing on Matt, but he had realized that she was angry and just goading him. At least he was able to get control of himself after that.

It was getting harder and harder for him to withstand her allure and he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. He didn't want to think about what would happen when he couldn't hold himself back anymore. He shuddered at the possibility and Alice glanced up at him.

Jasper gave Alice a confident smile and began chatting about the upcoming Battle of the Bands competition. Soon she was avidly immersed in the conversation and Jasper breathed in silent ease. Anything that kept her mind off what happened at the park, suited him just fine.

"Mommy!" Alice whined, making Esme frown. "It's perfect. You have to let me get it."

"Alice, that's enough." scolded Esme. "I'm not buying you that dress, and that's final. Now, go take it off, it's time to go. Your father will be home for dinner tonight."

Alice stamped her foot and made a huffing noise, but went back into the dressing room to change back into her clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She really wanted the dress and thought her mom was being totally unfair. She'd seen girls wearing dresses way more revealing than the one she was now admiring in the mirror. She looked at the way it skimmed over her body and clung to her belly and breasts. It even made her breasts look bigger, and she wondered if Jasper would like the way she looked in it. She turned sideways and studied how the material cupped her butt, the hem barely hung past her underwear. Even as short as she was, if she bent over just the littlest bit, her panties would be visible to the world.

"Alice! Are you almost done in there?"

Alice wrinkled her nose in frustration. "Just a minute!" she called, her eyes going back to her reflection. "I bet Jasper would let me touch him in this dress." she thought with a smirk. Her mom had said she wouldn't buy it for her, Alice thought, shoving the dress into her purse, but she never said Ali couldn't buy it for herself.

Alice finished dressing and smoothed her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and didn't like what she saw. She couldn't steal the dress. She'd have to buy it, she couldn't live with the guilt, so she'd have to figure out a way to distract her mom long enough to pay for it herself. She left it in her purse and exited the dressing room. Esme was standing there with an expectant look on her face.

"Where's the dress?" She asked Alice.

"Oh... I... uh, left it in the dressing room. Um... the lady told me to leave it in there." Alice fibbed.

Esme looked at her with a puzzled frown. She didn't remember anyone talking to Alice. Just then, Alice let out a gasp.

"Oh my God! Look, Mommy!" she exclaimed, pointing at a soft, green dress. "Isn't this gorgeous? It would look so pretty on you."

Esme reached out and touched the dress. "It is beautiful... so soft." Esme sighed. She looked at the price tag and bit her lip. "And on sale, too." She sighed.

"Try it on, Mom." Alice urged her with a big gin. "You could wear it for Daddy." Alice's grin turned wicked.

"Alice!" Her mom scolded with a laugh. Then she looked at the dress again. "Your dad would like it."

"He'd think it brought out the green in your eyes." Alice offered. "Just try it on, Mom. What can it hurt?"

Esme groaned. "Oh, all right. Bend my arm, why don't you?" She found her size and took it back to the dressing room.

"I'm gonna' look around out here, Mommy." Alice called as Esme walked away. She turned to look back at Alice.

"All right, Ali, but don't leave the store." Esme commanded before disappearing into the little room.

Alice rushed over to the counter, pulling the dress out of her purse. "It's a good thing I brought my big purse today." she thought as she approached the sales lady.

"Oh! This will look so beautiful on you." The sales lady said as she rang up Alice's purchase. Alice paid for the dress and stuffed it back into her purse, along with the receipt.

"Don't you want a bag?" the lady asked her.

"Uh, no, thank you. I'm so small that I get tired easily and... carrying a lot of bags is too much for me." She lied. She was getting good at this, she thought with a grin. She went over to the dressing rooms just as Esme was coming out.

"How'd it look, Mom?" Alice asked her.

Esme's face lit up. "I love it, Ali. You have good taste, Angel. Thank you. I think I'm going to wear it when your dad takes me to the charity event at the hospital next week."

"Perfect, Mom!" Alice enthused. Not only did she have time to buy her dress, she also found her mom the perfect dress and earned some Brownie points, too. She hugged herself with a grin, as her mom went to pay for her dress.

Alice and Esme collapsed into the car after they left the mall. It had been a long day, but they had gotten everything they needed and Ali was set for the beginning of school, and the possible seduction of one Jasper Hale.

The following Saturday was the Battle of the Bands competition. Everyone was going to the State Fair for the night, including Brent and Bella's parents. Ali had set up a block of hotel rooms for their group and they all set out together on Saturday morning. Jackson and Lynnette drove the equipment van and Jasper and Ali rode with them. Brent's parents drove, taking Bella's parents, and Brent's younger brother, Brad, with them. Carlisle and Esme had Edward and Bella, and most of the luggage with them, and Emmett and Rose had Brent and Jessica with them.

Spirits and energy were high as they set out and Edward spent half of the trip going over his lists to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. He finally relaxed and looked over at Bella. She was looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Edward raised a questioning brow at her. "What?" he finally asked her, a puzzled look still on his face.

"You're so funny. I love how you get that little frown between your eyebrows when you're concentrating really hard." she chuckled as a faint blush colored his cheeks.

"Thanks?" he said, jokingly and grinned. "What else do you love about me?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed.

"That's it." she quipped and laughed again at his look. They continued back and forth for a while, only stopping when Bella noticed Carlisle glance at them in the rearview mirror. Carlisle grinned at her and she blushed, then it was Edward's turn to laugh.

Emmett and Rose were arguing, as usual. He wanted to stay for the entire concert, seeing all of the competing bands. Rose only wanted to stay to see NoiZe and spend the rest of the day touring the fair. Jessica and Brent exchanged a look and Jessica started to giggle. Brent sent her a warning look, but it only made her giggle harder. Soon he was laughing at her giggling and Emmett was watching them in the rearview mirror. Rosalie turned around and was openly glaring at them.

Finally, Jessica gained control of herself and let out a few gasps as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, Rose!" Jessica managed to get out. "You two are just so... cute."

At that, Emmett grinned like an idiot. He looked over at Rose, who's expression had relaxed some, but was still not too friendly. Brent watched her with worry, he had seen her go off on Jasper a couple of times in the family's garage when someone had gotten too close to her car.

"Rose," Emmett said in a sing-song voice. "Jess thinks we're cute."

Rose turned her scowl toward him and he cracked up. Brent and Jessica both looked at them like they had lost their minds as Rosalie broke into giggles and the two of them continued to laugh until they were both out of breath.

When she could finally speak, Rose turned back to the two confused people in the back seat and told them, "I hate cute." To which Emmett cracked up again. Rosalie smiled at Jessica and Brent and they looked at each other like they weren't too sure if they should be scared, or not.

Ali was too excited to sleep. She knew the boys probably didn't have a great chance of actually winning the Battle today, but she it was going to be super cool to see how close they came. She glanced over at Jasper, who was asleep on the seat next to her, and admired how his hair curled around his face. He looked how she would imagine a boy angel to look. She almost giggled, but didn't want to wake him up. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out to see a text from Jess.

_Ali- Em & Rose r acting weird. What's so funny about them being cute? -Jess_

Ali let out a giggle and clamped her lips shut as Jasper stirred slightly. She text Jessica back.

_LOL! When Rosalie was little, she was so pretty that old ladies _

_would come up to her in stores and stuff and pinch her cheeks. _

_Now, if someone says she's cute, she gets mad. She HATES being called 'cute'. _

_Don't worry tho, she's harmless. ~ Ali x_

Ali pushed send and tried to suppress her laughter. Rose could be so persnickety, she hoped she would be nice to Jess. After a few minutes, Jess text her back.

_Thanx, Ali. Brent & I were worried there for_

_a minute. LOL! They are fine now. They're both laughing._

_C u soon! -Jess x _

Ali rolled her eyes, her brother and Rose could be very intimidating. She heard Jasper stir and looked over to see sleepy green eyes focusing on her. He grinned at her and she smiled.

"How'd you sleep, Jas?" Ali asked, still smiling gently.

"Good." He replied and leaned toward her. "I had a great dream." He whispered. "You were in it." He put his lips against her ear and breathed. "And you were _so_ sexy."

Ali felt shivers run along her skin and heat went straight down to the pit of her stomach. His breath was hot against her neck and ear, and she felt her nipples pucker. Jasper sat back a little and she turned to look at him. His eyes were black with intensity and he licked his lips. Ali felt as though she was in some kind of trance and started to lean toward him, staring at his mouth. She heard her mom murmur something to her dad and both of them snapped out of their trance and blinked at each other.

Alice put her head down, a hot blush staining her cheeks, and Jasper chuckled. She had been getting pretty feisty with him lately, but she still got embarrassed easily. She gave him a shy look out of the corner of her eye and he wiggled his brows at her. He sobered quickly when Ali licked her lips seductively, but the spell was broken when she giggled. She loved the feeling of power she had over him, it was almost like an addiction now. She couldn't wait to try her new dress out on him.

A few minutes later, they pulled into the hotel parking lot. It was 10:00 AM and they had special permission to check in as soon as they arrived, so Alice gave her mom the reservation confirmation receipts, and her and Carlisle went to check them in. As soon as they were clear of the car, Jasper leaned over and covered Ali's lips with his own. His hands roamed over her back and down her sides and she moaned into his mouth. He pulled away and lay his cheek against her hair.

"Ali, you turn me on so bad." he breathed in her ear. "What am I going to do with you?"

Ali grinned into his hair and whispered back. "Let me... touch you."

Jasper jumped back and looked at her with a scowl. "Alice, stop saying that." Jasper pleaded. "I can't take it when you say stuff like that. I can't think of anything else."

Alice grinned wickedly at him. "I know." She chirped. "That's why I say it."

"Ali, please." He begged, covering his face with his hand. "I'll never be able to concentrate this afternoon."

"Jas, I'm serious. I want to touch you." She touched the hand over his face. He lowered it and groaned at her look. "You have to let me. I let you, it's only fair."

Jasper rolled his eyes and groaned again. "Alice, you are going to kill me, or get me killed, aren't you?"

Alice shrugged. "I hope not." she shot back. "I won't get to touch you if you're dead." She grinned innocently at him and he lay back against the seat and closed his eyes. Ali giggled and spotted her parents coming back. "Parent alert." she giggled. Jasper opened his eyes, saw her parents and looked at her.

"Thanks a lot, Ali." He growled, shifting and looking down at his lap. He looked back up at her, his face strained, and Ali giggled again.

"Any time, Jas." She told him with a cheeky grin, and Jasper moaned and shook his head.

"Like I said before, I've created a monster." He said, which, of course, got her giggling even more.

The NoiZe caravan pulled up to the employee entrance at the State Fair. The man on duty told them that only the equipment van could drive through and told them where to go. The others pulled into parking spaces and Emmett, Brent and Edward got into the van with Jasper and Carlisle. Esme and Alice joined the others as they walked up to the entrance and were told to go on through after being given VIP passes to wear around their necks.

They made their way to the concert area and the boys were unloading the equipment. Brent's dad, Brian, and Bella's dad, Charlie, joined Jackson and Carlisle in helping them with their stuff. Soon they had everything unpacked and ready to carry onstage. They were third in the line-up and the concert started at 11:00, so they had about an hour before they were on. Each group was given 20 to 30 minutes to play the three songs they had chosen, and there were 12 bands competing, so the concert wouldn't actually be over until at least 6:00 PM. It was going to be a long day, so Carlisle suggested that they all grab something to eat before the boys were up.

The group walked down to the nearest food court and took up several tables having an early lunch. Everyone was chattering excitedly as they sat down with their food. Jasper carried his and Alice's food, and she carried their drinks. Just as they were a few feet from their table, a girl walked up to them and put her hand on Jasper's arm.

"Hi, Jasper! Do you remember me? I met you at the Wilmot County Fair." Jasper looked puzzled, but then he got a big smile on his face.

"Oh, yeah! Tanya, right?" Jasper asked, still smiling. Tanya nodded and Jasper asked, "Where's your friend, Kate, right?" She nodded and laughed.

"I can't believe you remembered!" she exclaimed, hanging on to his arm. Then she lowered her voice. "Kate's here, too. We could've had so much fun that day. Too bad you're here with her." She nodded at Alice, who had taken a few steps back. "We could've hung out after the concert."

Jasper looked over at Alice, who stood there with no expression on her face. "Thanks for the offer." He said, looking back at Tanya. "I'd much rather hang out with Alice, though. No offense, but she is my girlfriend."

Tanya looked Alice up and down. "I don't get it, but, whatever." She looked back at Jasper and put her hand on his arm again. Lowering her voice and giving him an inviting grin, she said, "If you decide to ditch her, we'll be at the concert. Just let us know where to meet you."

"Okay, I will." He looked startled for a second. "I mean, I won't, decide to ditch her, that is."

Tanya pouted, looking at him seductively. "Too bad. Oh well, see you there anyway." She flounced away, looking at him over her shoulder and he looked down to apologize to Alice. Alice wasn't there. Jasper looked toward the tables to see her just sitting down between Rosalie and Bella. He hurried over to the table and set their food down across from her. Alice kept her head down, but watched him from under her lashes as he walked around the table. He came up behind her and Alice sat there, stiffly, as everyone else watched.

Jasper nonchalantly reached down and lifted Alice up off the bench. Her mouth fell open, as did everyone's around her, and Jasper carried her back around the table and set her on the bench where their food sat. He reached across the table and slid their drinks toward them and then sat down next to her.

Alice sat frozen, but Jasper started to set up their food and even put the straw in her soda, like nothing had happened. Alice kept her head down as Jasper started eating. Finally, he looked over at her and leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Ali, don't be mad. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for what I said to come out that way." He bent his head around in front of her to look into her face. "Ali, come on. You know I was just being polite. I don't want to hang out with those girls. I love you."

Alice looked up at him and he sucked in his breath. Her eyes were swimming with tears and she had a defeated look on her face. "It's all right, Jas." she said in a tired voice. "I just want to eat, okay?"

Jasper nodded and just watched her. She took a drink of her soda and just picked at her food. Emmett and Rose, and Edward and Bella, were sitting at the table eating and trying not to notice their disagreement.

Finally, Emmett asked her, "You okay there, Ali Oop?"

"Yeah, thanks, Em." Alice told him, blinking back her tears. "I'm fine."

"Well, don't let those girls bother you, Ali. Jasper couldn't live without you." Rose told her. "He's always going on and on, Ali this, and Ali that, he loves you."

"Thank you, Rose." Alice said softly.

She looked up at Jasper, who was still watching her, and he gave her an apologetic look.

"I would never give you up for those girls, Darlin'. I promise you that." He told her, looking hopeful.

"Okay, thanks Jas." She whispered, but she still didn't look entirely certain.

Jasper lifted her chin to look at him. "Alice, it would never happen." He smiled sweetly at her and she smiled back.

"Okay, Jas. I know it wouldn't." She said, trying to look happy, but failing miserably.

By the time they were done eating, it was almost time for the boys to start setting up for their turn on stage. They hurried back, Jasper still trying to be extra attentive to Alice to show her that he meant what he said about being with her, and he gave her a kiss before leaving her with their families.

"I'll see you right after we're done, Ali, all right?" He still didn't like the look in her eyes, but he couldn't do anything about it right now. "Please just stay by our parents, okay?"

She smiled at him, and nodded. "I will. I'll see you afterward, Jas. Have fun." He kissed her again and the boys and Emmett went backstage to get their stuff ready for when the stage was clear.


	56. Battle for Control

**Author's Note: The merging of the schools is true and not just for this story. Also, I made a reference to two friends in this chapter, just because. **

56.

Battle for Control

"Now I'd like to introduce a local band that is with us for the first time this year. The unique thing about this band is that none of the members are over fifteen years old. Two of the members, guitarist and lead singer, Jasper, and keyboardist and singer, Edward, have been best friends from birth, and the other two, bass guitarist and singer, Bella, and drummer and singer, Brent, are first cousins. They write a lot of their own music, too! Please join me in welcoming, NoiZe!"

The girls in the audience started screaming as the announcer walked off the stage, and Brent started the introduction to their signature song, 'Cum on Feel the Noize' by Quiet Riot. Alice watched Jasper as he got caught up in the beat and began to play his guitar and sing. Behind her, the girls who were screaming, pushed up against the stage and she saw Brent grin. Jasper seemed as though he wasn't even aware of the girls as he performed, and Edward frowned, probably irritated that their screaming was interfering with the song.

Bella looked up from her guitar for a second to see where the others were, and then lost herself in the music, again. Ali smiled at how oblivious Bella was as a few guys started calling out to her. She glanced at Brent and saw him grin at her. She grinned back at him and rolled her eyes. He loved performing more than anything and was in his element when he was onstage. He also loved the attention from the girls and, even though he was totally into Jessica, he never failed to greet a fan.

Jasper loved the attention, as well, but he loved the music more. As they moved onto their second song, he closed his eyes and let the melody surround him. He opened his eyes as he began to sing the original song that he and Edward had written, and smiled at Edward as he joined in. Jasper flipped his hair back as he went into a guitar riff and the girls at the front of the stage began to scream and call out to him again. Jasper smiled down a them as he began singing the second verse, and Alice saw his smile widen when he spotted Tanya and her friend, Kate. They both waved and he nodded to them before turning to smile at Edward again.

Alice put her head down and closed her eyes. Her chest hurt and she felt tears prick her eyes. She hated feeling this way, but she couldn't help it. Jasper was the most handsome boy in William's Bay, maybe even all of Walworth County, and she felt so insecure when confronted with all of the pretty girls that were always throwing themselves at him. She was really glad that this was the band's last concert of the summer. They were booked to play a party after school started, but it was a local gig, and she would know most of the people there.

She sighed as she felt a hand rub her back and glanced over at Rosalie. Rose smiled at her and reminded her to smile for Jasper so he wouldn't worry while on stage. Alice gave her a half-hearted smile but realized that Jasper hadn't looked her way once since they had started playing. She looked back over at the stage and saw that Jasper was still looking at the girls in the front. They were all smiling up at him and he would grin back at them every time he looked up from his guitar.

Alice closed her eyes as the pain cut through her again and tried to act as though nothing was wrong. She didn't expect Jasper to ignore the girls in the audience or look at her the entire time they were playing, but she couldn't help the feelings of inadequacy that engulfed her when comparing herself to those other girls.

"Ali." Rosalie said, when the second song ended. Ali looked over at her again. "Stop it."

"What?" Alice gave her a puzzled frown.

"Stop worrying. Jasper doesn't want them. He wants you." Rosalie assured her.

Alice still looked worried. "I know, Rose, but I can't help feeling... I don't know... lacking."

Rosalie laughed. "Ali, he is so crazy about you. If you only knew... " She put her arm around Alice. "Smile, he's looking at you."

Alice looked back over at Jasper on the stage as they started their third song and gave him a brilliant smile. His whole face lit up and split into a huge grin as he strummed his guitar. He flipped his hair back, his eyes never leaving her face, and began to sing, his head bobbing to the beat. Edward and Bella started in at the chorus, and Jasper looked over toward them.

Rosalie elbowed Alice and grinned when she looked at her. "Told you." Rose gloated.

Alice laughed, her mood greatly improved. She loved Jasper, but hated the complications their relationship brought with it. She hoped things were easier when they got older because she couldn't imagine feeling like this for the rest of her life.

Rosalie started bumping Alice with her hip and Alice laughed and bumped her back. They danced to the rest of the song and even got Emmett bumping with them. Their parents laughed at them as they enjoyed the end of the band's set. As the boys thanked their audience, the announcer came back onstage and encouraged the audience to show their appreciation for the band. As the boys made to clear their stuff off the stage, the announcer suggested they sing another song. The girls in front started screaming and the boys looked at each other in surprise.

When the announcer asked them if they could play another song, the boys and Bella were surprised, they were only scheduled to perform three songs, but quickly decided what song to play and began the opening notes. Alice groaned under her breath, she was so ready to get out of there, but she smiled and clapped along with everyone else, and pretended to be thrilled. Finally, the song was over and the boys cleared their equipment off the stage. The audience cheered them and the announcer kept them entertained until the next group was set up. Alice watched the new band start their set and felt a touch on her back. She turned to see emerald eyes glowing down at her.

Jasper grinned at her. "Hi, Darlin'. Did you miss me?"

Alice shook her head and tried to stop her smile. "No, not really. I was watching this really hot guy on stage."

She squealed when she was suddenly lifted off the ground and flung over his shoulder. She hung on for dear life, not used to her head being over six feet above the ground.

"Jasper! Don't you dare drop me!" she warned him, giggling.

Jasper chuckled and swung her around. When she was done squealing, he lowered her back to the ground and asked her, "Now, did you want to stay and watch the other bands for a while, or do you want to walk around a little bit?"

She looked up into his eyes, trying to figure out what he wanted to do, before answering. "Um... we can do whatever you want to, Jas."

"Alice," he stated. "I'm asking you what _you_ want to do."

"Well," Alice began tentatively. "I'd kind of like to walk around a bit." She said. "If that's okay with you." She added quickly.

He shook his head at her. "I said, whatever you want to do, Ali. I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know."

He lifted her chin when she kept looking at the ground. "Now what?" he asked when she wouldn't meet his eyes.

'I just... I just want you to be happy, Jas. I thought you might want to hear the other bands. You know... see what you're up against." She told him, finally looking into his eyes.

"Ali, I don't really care who wins. I mean, if we did, that would be totally awesome, but, if we don't, it's not a big deal." He smiled at her. "I just want to spend the rest of the day with you."

Alice smiled and hugged him hard. He chuckled and hugged her back. He hated when she was feeling insecure. He wished she could see just a little of what he saw, her beauty, her sweetness, her talents. He let her go and took her hand.

"Ready?" he asked her. At her nod, they said goodbye to their family and friends, and started off to see the rest of the fair.

"Come on, Ali!" Pleaded Jasper. "It'll be fun."

Alice laughed. "That's what you always say, Jas."

He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her against his chest. "And I'm always right. Say it. Say, 'Jas, you're always right.' You know I always am."

Alice giggled and shook her head. "No. You're not always right. You just like to terrify me so you feel like the big strong man."

Jasper twisted up his face and set her down. He beat on his chest with his fists. "Me Jasper. Me big strong man. Me want to go on scary slide with Ali."

Alice bent over, still giggling, and clutched her stomach. "Stop! Jas, stop! I'll go on the slide with you if you'll stop."

A big grin splitting his face, Jasper grabbed her hand and dragged her up the steps that ran up the side of the giant slide. When they reached the top, Alice cringed as she looked down to the bottom of the slide. It was huge, very wide and very tall. The attendant laid a large piece of burlap down at the top of the slide and Jasper sat down on it. He reached up for her.

"Come on, Ali. You promised. It's no different than the water slides." He begged. He stuck out his lower lip and pouted. "Come on, Ali. Please?"

Alice nodded and let him help her sit down on the burlap. He pulled her into the vee of his legs and wrapped his arms around her. He nestled his face into her hair and enjoyed the feel and smell of her.

"Ready?" Jasper whispered into her hair.

"As I'll ever be." Ali answered him, leaning back against his solid chest. She giggled as she felt him smell her. She still thought it was funny when he did that, and braced herself as he pushed them off.

The wind blew her hair back into Jasper's face and he tightened his arms around her, loving the feel of her held tight against him. He could hold her like this forever, and still want to hold her some more. Alice let out a scream, and Jasper grinned. He knew she'd be scared, but he also knew that she would love it once they were at the bottom. He chuckled into her hair and lay back as they reached the bottom.

Alice jumped up. "That was a blast!" she hollered looking down at him. "Wanna' go again?"

Jasper lay at the bottom of the slide laughing. She was so predictable, and he watched her as she stamped her foot impatiently.

"Jas-per!" She wheedled. "I wanna' go again. Please, please, please. Come on!"

"Okay. Geeze, give me a second." Jasper aggravated her by moving really slow and cracked up when Alice reached down to help him up. He finally got to his feet and carried the burlap back up with him as Alice danced along side him, chattering excitedly about their first trip down. Just as she was about to sit down between Jasper's legs, they heard a voice call his name.

"Jasper!" A gorgeous blonde girl walked up behind them. "Hi! My name is Sarah. I saw you guys play at Wilmot, and I saw your concert today. You guys are amazing! I really hope you win."

Jasper smiled at her. "Thanks, Sarah." he said. "I appreciate your support."

"It's more than that!" Sarah squealed. "You guys deserve to win. You really do!" Then she looked at Ali. "I remember seeing you at the concert in Wilmot, too." Then she looked at Jasper again. "Is this your little sister?" She asked him.

"Uh, no." He said, looking worriedly up at Ali as she frowned. "This is my girlfriend, Alice."

"Your girlfriend?" At his nod, Sarah tried to be polite. "Sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. It's just that you're really... you know, small..."

Alice smiled her best fake smile and said, "Yes, Jasper likes it that way. It makes him feel big and macho."

Sarah threw her head back and laughed. She looked back at Alice. "You're so funny! I love that." She looked over at Jasper. "And you should see the look on your face." She told him. "Priceless!"

Alice laughed along with Sarah. Even thought she was gorgeous, it was hard not to like her, especially when she laughed. Her laugh was infectious. She looked over at Jasper. He was scowling and looking from her to Sarah. He obviously didn't like being the butt of their joke, and he patiently waited for them to finish laughing at him.

"Are you done now?" Jasper asked, still looking from one girl to the other. Alice nodded, still grinning and Sarah smirked at him.

"Well, good luck, Jasper. It was nice meeting you." She said to Jasper. She turned toward Alice. "And Alice, it was a total pleasure meeting you. I haven't laughed like that in quite a while. Take care you two."

Alice and Jasper said goodbye and watched as Sarah went down the slide. Jasper then pulled Alice down to sit on the burlap with him. He held her tightly against his chest. "You think your being small makes me feel big and macho, huh?" He whispered in her hair. He felt her shake as she stifled her giggles. He growled, "Just wait until we're alone again. I'll show you how big and macho I can be."

Alice giggled again and wiggled back against him. She heard his swift intake of breath and she laughed as he pushed them off to go flying down the slide again.

Jasper glanced at Alice out of the corner of his eye and groaned, rolling his eyes. Alice giggled and bit into the corndog she had been sucking on just a second ago. She was going to be the death of him, he knew it. Death by 'blue balls' or Emmett's fists, he wasn't sure which one would be worse, and he hoped he didn't have to find out. She had been teasing him relentlessly all day. If she knew how close he was to pulling her into a secluded spot and ravishing her, she'd be shocked, but he played it off like she wasn't really getting to him, which just made her rev up her efforts. He knew she wanted to experiment with him, but he didn't think he could. She was just too tempting and his resolve was thin, at best.

Alice frowned at her corndog. She had put everything into trying to get Jasper's attention and he hadn't even kissed her. Other than a few groans and flirty remarks, he basically treated her the same as he always had, like a big brother. He had scolded her, rolled his eyes at her and chuckled at her, but not once had he acted like he was attracted to her in that way. She felt tears fill her eyes and blinked rapidly to clear them before he saw. She was having a good time and didn't want to spoil it, so she decided to stop with the seduction game and just enjoy the day.

"I suppose I can just return my dress." She thought. Obviously, Jasper no longer wanted her like that. In the car, he had been more than happy to kiss her, but now that he was surrounded by all these beautiful, sexy girls, she was just plain Ali again. He'd probably realized that she really wasn't that attractive after all. "It was a stupid plan any way." She thought. She was thirteen years old, for crying out loud, and looked much younger, who but a pedophile, or another desperate teenager, would want to have any kind of sex with her? Jasper definitely was not desperate. If anything, he had his pick of girls wherever he went, and she was sure there were more than a few that would be more than willing, right here at the fair.

Alice let out a little sigh and took the last bite of her corndog. She walked over and threw her stick and wrapper in the trash can and looked over at Jasper. He was gazing at her with a half smile on his face and she smiled back. She skipped back over to him and grabbed his hand.

"What do you want to do now, Jas?" she asked. She gave him a big smile that she hoped fooled him, and looked around them.

"I don't know. Do you want to get something to drink? That corndog made me thirsty." He started to lead her towards a soda stand before she could even answer. Alice chuckled at him and accepted the lemonade he handed her. She was getting a drink whether she wanted one, or not. Jasper looked down at her, his eyes puzzled. "What?" he asked.

Alice shook her head, grinning. "Nothing." she said. He was always taking good care of her, she should just be happy with that for now. That, and the fact that he wanted to be with her at all.

Jasper was puzzled. He could've sworn he saw tears in Ali eyes, but she was smiling and happy now, so he must've imagined it. He gulped down his lemonade and threw his cup in the trash, licking his lips. Alice was looking up at him and he asked again, "What?"

Alice laughed and shook her head. "Nothing."

Jasper growled and ran his hand through his hair. "You're trying to drive me crazy, aren't you?" he asked her. She looked up at him with those big, innocent, blueberry eyes.

"Why?" she asked. "What do you mean?" She truly didn't know why he'd said that. She sipped her lemonade waiting for him to answer.

Jasper just shook his head. "Nothing." he said, cocking a brow, and Alice cracked up.

"Oh!" she finally said, catching her breath. "Sorry. I just couldn't believe that you drank your lemonade so fast. That's all." She giggled and he grinned.

"I was thirsty." He shrugged, still grinning.

"Do you want some of mine?" Alice offered her cup to him. "I can't drink it all."

"Sure!" he laughed, took the cup and swallowed half of it. He sighed and handed it back to her. "Thanks, that hit the spot!" he grinned.

Shaking her head at him, he asked her, "What?" again, and she just laughed and started walking. Jasper trailed behind her watching her hips and hair sway. He gulped and averted his eyes. He was not walking around the fair with a hard-on, but of course, the more he thought about not having one, the more of one he had, and not for the first time today.

"Damn it!" Jasper was fed up with his body. If he couldn't get control soon, he wouldn't be able to go anywhere without the world seeing how horny he was. He saw Ali turn around and he turned his back to her and pretended he as looking at something else. He felt Ali walk up next to him and put her hand on his arm.

"Are you all right, Jas?" He looked down at her and smiled.

"Sure. I was just trying to figure out what to do next. Got any ideas?" he asked her.

"We could go see how the concert is going, if you want." Alice offered. Jasper shook his head.

"No. I don't really want to see the competition, Ali. Let's go see the horse show or go on some rides, or something. They're even having the Pom Pon Dance Off later today." Ali shook her head, they had seen enough girls in skimpy clothing today, there was no way she was going to see that with him.

He looked around over her head to see what he could find for them to do. He spotted some guys he knew at the game booths and took her hand again. "Come on, Ali. I see some of the guys from school." He dragged her over to the games and started talking with his school mates.

"Hi, Ali!" Ian Somerfield called to her from over by one of the game booths. Alice smiled and waved at him, and he motioned her over. Casting a quick look at Jasper, she saw he was deep in conversation, so she skipped over by Ian.

"Hi, Ian! How has your summer been?" Alice asked him with a smile.

"Pretty good, Ali. How about yours?" he inquired politely, grinning at her.

She grinned. "Great, actually!" She told him with a giggle. "We've been running all over the state so Edward and Jasper can perform with their band. It's been really fun."

"I heard they were in a band and that they are really good." Ian offered. "Are they playing in the Battle of the Bands? I'd love to hear them."

"They played this morning already. Sorry you missed them." Alice apologized. "They will be playing at the Harvest Party this fall, though, or you can just come by Jasper's when they're practicing."

"That would be cool!" Ian's disappointment turning to pleasure. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime. I'll give Ed or Jas a call."

Alice nodded and watched as his eyes took on a look of surprise. "Wow! Alice, you've really changed since school let out." He moved closer to her and she felt her heart thud in her chest.

"Here we go." She thought, mentally rolling her eyes. She watched him warily as he looked her up and down, and she felt a blush heat her cheeks.

"Seriously, Ali. I think you've actually gotten taller." He looked down at the top of her head and looked at his shoulder. "I don't think you reached my shoulder at the end of school."

Alice sighed in relief. "Maybe I have gotten taller. Now that you mention it, I had on a pair of jeans last night that did seem a little shorter."

They both laughed and Ian asked her if she minded if he finished playing his game. Alice shook her head and watched as he threw his last ball. He knocked all of the pins off of the little table and the attendant groaned.

"Ha!" Ian hollered. He turned to Alice. "I think you're my good luck charm. I've had 5 balls and only knocked off one or two pins before this."

She clapped at his achievement and the attendant told him to pick a prize or go double or nothing.

"Double or nothing!" he exclaimed. "Ali, you have to stay for good luck, okay?" Ian grinned at her hopefully.

Ali giggled and agreed. "All right, Ian."

Ian was given three more balls and only knocked off half the pins with the first one. "Damn!" he swore, and then looked at Alice. "Sorry, Ali."

She smiled her acceptance at his apology and watched as he knocked all of the pins off with his second ball. "Yeah! All right!" He readied his third ball and held it out to Ali. "Here, you have to touch it for extra luck."

"Ian!" she giggled and rolled her eyes. "All right." She touched it and he grinned and made ready to throw it. Again, he knocked all of the pins off the table.

Ian let out a whoop and grabbed Alice up and twirled her around. "I knew it! I knew you were good luck!" He yelled as she giggled helplessly. He set her down, a huge grin on his face and told her to pick out a prize.

"No, it's your prize, Ian." Ali protested.

"I wouldn't have won without you. Besides, I don't care about the prize, I just wanted to be able to do it."

Alice laughed. "All right." She studied the prizes and picked a soft, yellow teddy bear with a purple heart on it's chest. The attendant handed it to Alice and she turned to thank Ian. Instead, she gasped as the teddy bear was yanked out of her hand and thrust at a surprised Ian.

"If she wants a God damned stuffed bear, I'll win her one." Jasper growled menacingly at Ian. He seized Alice's wrist and jerked her along behind him as he stomped away from Ian. Ian stood watching them with his mouth still hanging open. Alice turned red and muttered an apology as she was dragged away.

Alice put her head down as humiliated tears filled her eyes. She stumbled along behind Jasper, feelings of dread squeezing her heart. It was like the Wilmot Fair all over again.

She heard someone run up to them and looked up just as Ian grabbed Jasper's arm.

"What the hell, Jas?" Ian demanded harshly, still clutching the little yellow bear, his face red with fury.

"Just stay away from her." Jasper gritted out, halting at Ian's constraint. Ian wasn't as tall as Jasper but he had a similar build, and he looked as though he was ready to test himself against Jasper. Alice bit her lip and looked worriedly from one to the other.

"Why?" Ian challenged. "All I did was talk to her. I've known both of you since Ali was a baby. Now I can't talk to her?"

Jasper glared at him. "No, you can't. I don't want any guys talking to her but me and her brothers." He moved closer, snarling at him. "I don't want any other guys touching her, either."

"Jesus, Jas." Ian said, looking shocked. "What the hell is wrong with you? All I did was talk to Ali while you were talking to Brice and Mark. I haven't seen her since school let out. Get a grip." He shook his head looking at Alice with sympathy. "You're taking the big brother act, way too far."

Jasper glanced at Alice and his face lost all signs of anger. Alice had her head down, tears dripping off her chin and she was biting her lip, hard. He looked at where his hand was gripping her wrist and saw that her soft, white skin was all red. He let go of her wrist and ran his hand through his hair.

Damn it. He'd done it again. He'd turned into a monster just because Ali was talking to another guy. He hadn't stopped to think when he'd seen Ian swing Ali around. He'd just said a curt goodbye to the other guys and marched over as the attendant had handed Alice the bear. All he'd seen was Alice with another guy. She had been smiling up at him and his hands had been on her, and Jasper hadn't liked it one bit.

"God, I'm sorry, Ian. I... I don't know what to say." He looked over at Alice again. She had her arms wrapped tightly around herself and was looking at the ground, her hair shielding her face from them.

"Ali?" He bent to look at her face when she wouldn't look up at him. He reached out and brushed her hair out of the way and she turned her face away. "Ali, I'm sorry. Please... please look at me, or yell at me, or... something." His voice broke slightly and he looked desperately at Ian.

Ian crouched on his knees so he could look up into Alice's face. "Ali? Will you look at me?" She glanced at his face and he smiled gently at her. "I know you're embarrassed and upset, but you didn't do anything wrong." He looked over at Jasper. "Jas is the one who acted like an ass. He's sorry, and so am I."

Alice looked at him in surprise. "Why... why are you s-s-orry? She stammered, trying to stop her tears.

"I'm sorry that you feel embarrassed." He told her, reaching up to brush back her hair. "And I'm sorry that you got stuck with Jasper. Where are your brothers?"

"Th-they're with their g-girlfriends." She managed, wiping her cheek with her hand.

"So you got stuck with Grumpy here?" He grinned at her. "Too bad he doesn't have a girlfriend you can pawn him off on, huh?"

Alice quickly turned her head to look at Jasper, a scared expression on her face. She searched his eyes to see if he was mad again, but all she saw was sorrow and regret. His shoulders slumped and he gave her an apologetic look.

"She _is_ my girlfriend, Ian." Jasper told Ian before turning to Alice again. "I'm so sorry, Ali. I didn't stop to think, I just... acted." Jasper explained. "Please let me make it up to you. We can do whatever you want. Rides, games, ice cream... whatever." He implored her. "I'll even let Ian give me a facer, if that'll help."

Alice shook her head. "No. I don't want either of you hurt." She said. She gave Jasper a little smile and he wiped the rest of the tears off her face. He lovingly smoothed her hair back and, putting his forehead to hers, he looked into her eyes.

"I really am sorry, Ali. I know I say that a lot... " he told her, hating the tears still in her eyes.

"I know, Jas." She buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him. He looked over at Ian again.

"Sorry, man." He looked sheepish and shrugged. "I get kind of... jealous... sometimes."

Ian shook his head. "You need to work on that, Jas, seriously." He looked down at Ali with sympathy. "She doesn't deserve that."

Jasper nodded and kissed the top of Alice's head. "You're right, I know." Jasper agreed, looking embarrassed. Their friends Mark and Brice walked up just then.

"Hey, what's going on?" Mark asked, looking between Jasper and Ian.

Brice nodded his head toward Alice. "She all right?" He asked.

"Yeah," Ian answered. "There was a... misunderstanding... and Jas and I got into a... an argument."

Both guys looked surprised. Jasper and Ian were both really easy-going guys and they had never seen either of them fight. Alice pulled her face away from Jasper's chest and smiled tentatively at the new arrivals. They both looked even more surprised when they saw her clearly.

"Damn, Ali!" Mark said, looking her over. "You sure have changed since summer began."

Alice, who still had her hand on Jasper's chest, felt a rumbling and looked up at him. He looked back at her and quickly smoothed out the angry expression on his face. She gave him a little smile and he gave her a little squeeze. He could do this, he thought, he could watch while other guys ogled Alice and not want to beat their heads in. He could. He looked back over at Mark and kept his face blank.

"How old are you now, Ali? Fourteen?" Brice asked.

"No, I turned thirteen at the end of June." She told them. They both nodded.

"That's right! Eighth grade this year, right?" Mark said.

"No, seventh. I'm one of the older kids in my class because of where my birthday falls." She informed them.

"Oh." Brice said. "Well, did you hear what they plan to do with the middle school?"

Jasper and Alice both looked puzzled. Alice shook her head. "No, what are they doing?"

"They want to move the seventh and eighth graders to the high school and make the middle school fourth, fifth and sixth." Mark told them.

"What?" Alice looked up at Jasper as he asked. "Why would they do that?"

"They say there isn't enough room at the elementary school for all of the kids and they want to spread them out." Mark continued. "There has been so much new construction lately and they don't have room for all of the new kids coming into the school. The high school is really big, so they figure they can make it a Jr./Sr. High, and section off the kids."

"How'd you find this out, Mark?" Jasper wanted to know.

"My mom is on the school board. When she first heard about it, she freaked, but then she got the details and said it was a pretty good plan." Mark shrugged. "At least you, Edward and Ali will still be at the same school."

"There is that." Ian commented. He looked at Mark and Brice. "Did you know that Jas and Ali are going out?"

The two boys look surprised again. "No way!" exclaimed Brice, smiling. "That's cool!"

Mark looked back and forth between them, clearly puzzled. "But I thought she was... you know? Like a little sister to you?" He looked at Jasper. "No offense, but that's a little weird, dude."

Alice stood up straight. "Jasper has never been like a brother to me." She informed Mark. "We've always just been really... close."

Mark looked cowed. "Well... okay. Sorry."

"That's okay." Ali said, smiling. "I get a little... defensive... sometimes." At that, Jasper and Ian both put their heads back and cracked up. She glared at them both, but her lips twitched trying not to laugh along with them.

"Well, we're going to watch the Pom Pon competition. You guys wanna' come?" Brice asked Jasper. Brice looked at Ian and grinned. "Ian's got to watch his lady love shake her groove thang." Ian rolled his eyes at Brice's comment while Mark and Brice snickered.

Jasper winced, he had forgotten that Ian was going with Kristy. Now he felt like an even bigger ass. He opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Alice boldly stated. "No, thank you, anyway. Jasper and I were on our way back to the concert area to see how the Battle of the Bands is going." Jasper looked at her in surprise.

"Oh, yeah! That's right!" Brice lit up. "You and Edward entered your band in that this year, didn't you?" He asked Jasper.

"Yeah." Jasper confirmed. "We played this morning, but Ali and I wanted to... um... see how it is going."

"Very cool!" Brice said. "Man! I wish I had remembered. I would've come and seen you. I hear you guys are really good!"

"Thanks, Brice." Jasper said. "Come on over some time and hear us. We practice in my garage just about every evening."

Alice piped up. "They're also playing the Harvest this year. It'll be great!"

The boys all looked at Alice and Jasper nodded his head toward Ali.

"She's our promotor. She lines up all of our gigs and does all of our advertising and art work." Jasper told them.

"That's so cool, Ali!" Brice said. "So, when they get famous, do you get a cut?" The boys laughed, but Jasper and Alice didn't. Brice's face cleared and he looked at him and Ali. "What?" he asked.

"They're really good, Brice. I mean _really_ good." Alice stated.

"Thank you, Alli, but no matter. I'm going to Northwestern after high school to be a doctor." Jasper proclaimed.

"You mean, if somebody wanted to sign you to a record deal, you wouldn't do it?" Mark asked in a scoffing manner.

Jasper shook his head. "Nope. I wouldn't."

"Wow. I'm... impressed." Mark complimented him. "I wouldn't be that noble... " He looked around at the snickers the other two boys made. "I wouldn't. I can admit that."

"Well, it's not that noble, Mark." Jasper informed him. "I'm gonna' be a doctor, and Ali and I are gonna' get married. I don't want to be dragging her all over the country if we did make it big, which I doubt we would. That rarely happens."

"Well, I, for one, hope it works out exactly the way you want." Ian told them. "I think you guys will be awesome together."

"Thanks, Ian." Jasper offered, and shook his hand. "Sorry, again, about earlier."

"No problem." Ian said with a smile. "Well, I am off to the Pom Pon competition. Kristy is performing and I don't want to miss her. She doesn't know what time she goes on, yet, so I want to get there before it starts and find out." He told them and looked at Alice. "I wish you guys could come with, Ali. I know Kristy would love to see you."

Alice bit her lip, she really wasn't up for watching Jasper check out all of the girls in their short, little skirts, but she would like to see Kristy. She looked up at Ian, again. "I suppose we could go for a little bit." She said. She looked up at Jasper. "Wanna' go for a little while?"

Jasper nodded and Alice felt sure that he knew why she wasn't happy to go. "Yeah," Jasper agreed. "We can go for a little while."

"Great!" Ian said, and the five of them set out for the arena where the Pom Pon Dance Off was being held.


	57. The New Girl

57.

The New Girl

Jasper, Alice, Mark and Brice went to find seats while Ian went to find Kristy. He and Kristy Justen had been going out for a couple of years and were really happy together. Her older brother, Tom, had always been a real player around school, but Kristy was as sweet and down to earth as she could be. Alice was really looking forward to seeing her and realized with a start, that almost all of her friends were her brothers friends. Except for Bella, Brent and Jessica, every one of her friends started out as either friends of one of her brothers or Jasper.

Still puzzling over that, Alice waved when she spotted Kristy following Ian up the bleachers toward them. Kristy, dressed in her red, white and black Pom Pon uniform, grinned excitedly and waved back.

"Ali!" Kristy squealed when she reached her and gave Alice a big hug. "Oh my God! Look at you!" She exclaimed when she let Alice go and really looked at her. "You look so different, still gorgeous, but so... grown up. Look at how long those legs are!"

"Thanks, Kristy." Alice said with a grin, blushing to her hairline. "You look great, too, but you always do."

They caught up on all that had gone on over the summer, and soon, Kristy had to go and get ready to perform. Before she left, she wondered if she had heard about the merger of the schools. Kristy seemed excited about it, but Alice still wasn't sure how she felt.

"Ali, if they do combine the schools, you should definitely try out for the Pom Pon squad." Kristy told her. "They are going to divide us into two groups, the Junior Squad and the Senior Squad, and they are going to allow the seventh and eighth graders to try out. You would be great and we would have so much fun!" Alice told her she'd think about it and good luck before Kristy ran off to join the rest of her squad.

Alice settled back down next to Jasper who was talking with the other three boys. She settled against his side and he automatically put his arm around her. She sighed contently and snuggled into him.

Jasper looked down at Alice with a smile and secretly hoped she didn't want to try out for the Pom Pon squad. He didn't think he'd be able to stand it, if he had to watch her prancing around in one of those skimpy outfits in front of the whole school. It was all he could do to keep himself from punching out every guy who looked at her now. He couldn't imagine how he would deal with that.

Everyone got quiet and turned their attention to the arena when music started playing. A man walked out to the middle of the arena, which was usually used for horse shows, but had been cleaned and covered with fresh sawdust for the event. The man was holding a microphone and welcomed everyone to the annual Pom Pon competition. He explained what the judges would be looking for and judging on, and ended by wishing good luck to all of the squads. He announced the first team that was up and a group of 24 girls ran out in green and white uniforms. They ran in formation, clutching green and white pom pons and stopped in the middle of the arena in another formation. They posed there, with their heads down, and waited. Suddenly, music started playing and the squad erupted in movement. There were girls going in all directions with pom pons swirling and twirling and Alice was enthralled. She had never really paid attention to the Pom Pon girls at Emmett's games before because she had always gone down to the concession with her parents during half time.

The intricate formations and maneuvers that the girls moved into, fascinated Alice and she knew this was something that she would love to do. She felt someone watching her and glanced over at Jasper. He was staring straight at her with a determined look on his face. She gave him a soft smile, but her eyes were puzzled. He didn't look mad, but he didn't have a pleasant look on his face, either.

As Alice searched his face, he slowly shook his head and said, "No. No way, Alice."

Alice's mouth twisted in a frown, her eyes questioning him. "No way, what, Jas?" She asked him, clearly at a loss to what he meant.

"No, to trying out for the Pom Pon squad." Jasper stated firmly.

Alice just stared at him. He knew her so well, that was true, but how dare he tell her that she couldn't try out for the team if she wanted to. She kept her face perfectly blank and slowly turned back to watch the current squad perform the end of their routine. The posed with big smiles on their faces, their chests rising and falling in their efforts to catch their breath. Alice clapped along with the other audience members as the girls turned, formed two long lines and ran out of the arena.

The man with the microphone strolled back out to the center and introduced the next group, and it went this way four more times before he finally announced the team from William's Bay. Their squad was currently made up of 22 girls and they ran out in red, black and white, clutching black and red pom pons. The music started to play and the boys sitting with Alice murmured in approval when they heard the beginning of 'My First Kiss' by 3OH!3 with Ke$ha.

Alice barely blinked as she watched the girls seem to move effortlessly around the arena. They were all moving in different directions but came together before moving apart again. They flipped their pom pons around and even threw them to each other at one point before dropping them and forming a kick line. The music changed and they broke apart again, maneuvered to pick up their poms again and danced around into another direction. There was constant movement with different girls performing different steps and then they all moved together again. Alice sat there, her eyes shining, taking in their every move. She couldn't take her eyes off the intricate performance and only seemed to notice her surroundings when the music ended.

She watched the girls run off and heard Ian mention something about one of the girls. "She's new to the district. Her family moved two houses down from Kristy right after school let out." he told the other boys. "Kristy invited her to try out for the squad when they held their workshop to replace the leaving seniors. I guess she danced at her old school."

"What grade is she in?" Brice asked him, looking very interested.

"She's a sophomore. She went to school in Michigan until her dad was transferred here." Ian explained. "She seems really nice. I know Kristy has hung out with her quite a bit over the summer. She's got twin brothers that are going into eighth grade. One's totally into sports, and I guess the other plays guitar, or something."

"Well, I for one, wouldn't mind meeting her. She looked pretty hot from where I'm sitting." Mark commented, snickering and elbowing Brice in the side. Brice chuckled and agreed. Ian looked at Jasper and rolled his eyes and Jasper grinned at him. Alice looked down toward the arena again as another team was getting ready to perform.

"How in the world could the judges just pick one winner?" she wondered. They were all so good. Alice heard one of the guys gasp and she looked down to see Kristy climbing toward them again with a stunning brunette following behind her. She turned her head to see three of the four guys practically drooling over what must be the new girl Ian had been talking about. A feeling of dread spread over her as she watched Jasper's eyes darken along with Brice and Mark's. She turned back to look at the girls that were almost upon them. The brunette's eyes were roaming over the boys like she was looking over chocolates in a candy shop.

Kristy's face was bright with happiness as she bounced up to their group. "Hi, again, guys!" She gave Ian a quick kiss on the cheek and turned to the new girl. "Mara, you remember Ian." She looked back at Ian, still smiling brightly. Then she looked at the other boys. "These guys go to our school, too. They are all going to be freshmen. This is Brice, Mark and Jasper. Guys, this is Mara. She's a sophomore this year." Then Kristy grinned at Alice. "And this, is Alice." She chirped happily, eager for the girls to be friends. "She is only going into seventh grade, but we are really good friends."

Mara took in everyone and exchanged greetings with them. Alice noticed how her eyes flared with interest when they landed on Jasper and she had to use every once of control she had to greet her pleasantly. She told herself that Mara didn't know that Jasper and she were going out, so it wasn't her fault she looked interested. She'd just have to show her that Jasper was with her so she'd know.

Alice put her hand on Jasper's arm. "Jas, we should invite Mara to join us so she'll know some people when school starts." Jasper nodded, barely turning to look at her.

"Good idea, Ali." He said, grinning. "Mara, you'll have to hang out with us so we can all get to know you."

Alice fought to keep a smile on her face as the air practically sizzled between Mara and Jasper.

"I'd like that, Jas." Mara practically purred, using his nickname as she'd heard Alice do.

"Well, that backfired." Alice thought as she saw Ian shift uncomfortably in his seat and heard him clear his throat.

"What do you think, Kristy? Want to hang out with Ali and Jas for the afternoon?" Ian asked her. "I think Jas has had Ali to himself long enough, huh?" Ian chuckled.

Kristy laughed. "Of course! Jasper, you can't keep Alice to yourself all the time." She played along with Ian, finally noticing that Mara was making fierce eyes at Jasper.

"Hey!" Brice cut in. "What about us?" He looked over at Mark. "Are we invisible, or what?"

Kristy giggled. "Well, duh! Of course you're both included in that." She rolled her eyes jokingly and looked at Alice. "Geeze! Are they 'obviously oblivious', or what?"

Both girls giggled and the boys frowned, they hated when the girls used that phrase.

"How long before you girls can leave?" Jasper asked, looking over at Kristy.

"We can leave any time." Kristy said, dancing from one foot to the other in excitement. "We're supposed to be back by 6:00 pm, though, for when they announce the winners."

"Cool!" Brice said, standing up. "Let's get out of here, then."

The rest of them stood up and started to move down the bleachers. Alice followed behind them looking so worried that Ian stepped over to put his arm around her shoulders. "It'll be okay, Ali." He whispered to her, giving her a squeeze.

She smiled up at him gratefully and made her way down. She felt a hand on her back and looked back to thank Ian for his help, but looked into Jasper's eyes instead. She was surprised since she hadn't noticed him get behind her. She gave him a happy smile and turned to continue down the steps.

They made their way around the fair, Mark and Brice vying for Mara's attention, and Ian just enjoying being with Kristy. Jasper was always careful to stick close to Alice, but it seemed to Alice that his eyes never left Mara. When they went on a ride, Jasper went with Alice, but his attention wasn't on her, like it had been earlier in the day. When they got something to eat, again, he was very attentive to Alice, but not in the same capacity as before. No one could fault him, he even continued to flirt with Alice and hold her hand, but she wasn't the only one who noticed that his interest kept drifting back to the beautiful brunette who had just joined their ranks.

By the time they were supposed to make their way back to find out the winner of the Battle of the Bands, Alice was a nervous wreck. Her hands were shaking and she had chewed her bottom lip raw. Luckily, Kristy and Mara had to go back to the Pom Pon Arena at the same time she and Jasper were to meet their families back at the concert stage, so they bade them and the three boys goodbye, and hurried back for the announcement of the winners.

Jasper talked animatedly to her the whole way back, but Alice honestly had no idea what he had said. Her mind was full of her own insecurities and she barely acknowledged that he was with her, let alone that he was talking.

"Earth to Alice!" He sang, grinning when she finally looked at him. "Where were you, Darlin'?"

"Um... just thinking." She told him, her eyes big in her face. "It's just been kind of a long day."

He laughed. "Man! I am just full of energy for some reason." He looked down as his phone vibrated in his pocket. "Hang on." He said as he pulled it out and opened it. "It's from Emmett. They're wondering where we are."

Jasper pressed the keyboard of his phone to let Emmett know they were on they're way, and took Ali's hand in his as he led her onward. "What did you think of Mara, Ali?' he asked, glancing at her.

Alice's eyes flew to his face. "Um.. she seemed pretty nice." she offered with a small smile.

Jasper smiled. "Yeah. Kristy really likes her. I guess they hang out a lot." They walked in silence for a couple seconds. "I was surprised to see a new girl on the Pom squad, weren't you?" He asked her. "I thought they only held try-outs at the end of the school year for the following year, but Kristy said they hold them in the summer, too, if they need to fill empty spots." He looked over at Alice again. "I guess that means it's too late for you to try out for the team, Ali. Sorry."

"Thanks." Alice mumbled, convinced that soon, if Mara had her way, he wouldn't care if she tried out for the team, or not.

They saw Emmett's head above the crowd and his face brightened when he spotted them. "Over here!" he hollered, waving to them, and Jasper laughed as he led Alice through the crowd.

"Did we miss anything?" Jasper asked once they reached their families.

Brent shook his head. "Naw, the last band just played about twenty minutes ago and the judges are finishing up their tallies." He looked at Jasper with a solemn expression on his face. "Do you think we have a chance, Jas? Seriously?"

He looked so hopeful, that Jasper threw him a bone. "Hell yeah, Brent! Why not? We're as good as any of the other bands, right?"

A big grin split Brent's face and he nodded. "Yeah."

Their parents nodded and smiled, happy that the kids backed each other up. Everyone looked hopeful as the announcer came out on stage. He teased the crowd by asking them if they wanted to know who the winners were. When they yelled yes, he put his hand to his ear and acted like he couldn't hear them. After three times, he was satisfied that they really wanted to know the winners and he proceeded to open an envelope held in his hand.

He took his sweet time, making faces at the crowd, and Brent grumbled crossly about idiots and telling them already. Jasper and Edward looked at each other and laughed at him. Finally, the envelope was open and the list of winners was in the announcer's hand.

"Well!" The announcer exclaimed, surprised. "I've never seen this before!" He looked up at the audience and Brent actually groaned.

"Come on, already!" he complained. "Geeze!" Jasper and Edward cracked up and Brent gave them a death glare. "Laugh it up! I just wanna' know, already."

Jasper put his arm around Brent's slightly shorter shoulders. "It's cool, Brent. Whatever happens, we kicked ass." Brent and Edward looked at him with big grins on their face and the three boys knocked knuckles.

"I have been doing this since the very beginning... seventeen years now... and I have never seen this happen. All the bands that performed here today were totally awesome, so let's give them all a big hand." Everyone clapped wildly, shouting and whistling their appreciation. "Yeah! Now that's love!" The announcer yelled, nodding. He looked back at the paper in his hand and brought the microphone back to his lips.

Seventeen years... never in seventeen years... have we ever had a tie... a tie for third place... so, let me be the first to congratulate our two... yes... two third place winners! Our first third place winner is, Hyper Irish Pixie Chick!" A group of twenty-something guys and a tiny, goth girl, started yelling and jumping around. The announcer called them up and, after they were up on the stage, the announcer taunted the audience some more. Brent was about to come out of his skin when the announcer finally got down to business again.

"Our second third place winner is... " He squinted at the paper like he couldn't make out the writing, and Brent swore, causing Jasper and Edward to double over in laughter. "I can't believe this!" The announcer exclaimed, looking up at the audience. "Out of all the bands here, our other third place winner is... NoiZe!"

The audience clapped and Jasper, Edward and Brent went completely still and stared at each other.

They heard Bella exclaim, "Oh my God!" and they started yelling, jumping around and hugging each other. They heard the announcer saying something about them being fifteen, and under, and this being their first year, but they were too busy celebrating to pay too much attention. The announcer invited them up on stage and the three boys and Bella made their way up on the stage. The announcer handed each of them an envelope and went on to announce the second and first place winners.

After all the winners were announced and the prizes given out, the stage was cleared and the band came back down to their families. They were stopped several times to be congratulated and, by the time they reached their group, they were really revved up. Their parents hugged and praised them and they were passed around from person to person. Finally, Jasper swept Alice up into his arms from where she had been standing off to the side, waiting for him to acknowledge her, and peppered her face with kisses.

Alice giggled, wrapped her arms around his neck and was finally able to tell him how happy she was for him, once he stopped kissing her. "I can't believe we placed, Ali. I just can't believe it!" Jasper kept telling her. She laughed at him and he started placing little kisses all over her face again. Everyone was in high spirits and they decided to all go have dinner together to celebrate. Carlisle called a restaurant they had frequented often and made reservations for seventeen. Making their way back to their hotel, they all got cleaned up and changed, and piled back into the vehicles to travel to celebrate together.

The restaurant, Sammie's, was ready for them and they were seated immediately. Jackson started one of many toasts made to the band and their supporters, and there was much laughter, hugs and eating. After everyone was done eating, Emmett asked if it was okay for them to go back to the fair until it closed. There was a band playing that he and Rose wanted to see and he offered to drive the other kids, too, if they wanted to come. All of the parents gave their consent, and the kids set out for the fairgrounds again.

"We don't have to stick together, but make sure you have your cell phones on in case one of us needs to find you." Emmett instructed.

Rosalie added, "Yeah, our moms and dads would kill us if something happened to one of you."

Everyone checked their phones to make sure they were on and then Emmett and Rosalie went to the concert they wanted to see.

"What should we do first, guys?" Brent asked. "Do we all stay together, or do you guys want to split up?"

"I for one would like to stick together." Jasper contributed. "I think it's funner when we do stuff together but, if you guys don't want to, that's cool, too."

"No, that sounds great to me." Bella offered, looking up at Edward.

Edward nodded, "Yeah... I like staying together. It makes it seem like more of a celebration if we spend it together."

Everyone nodded and they decided to walk over to see one of the evening shows. There was a comedian doing a show in one of the amphitheaters and they went in and found seats together. Jasper looked over at Alice, admiring her in the little skirt she had changed into for dinner, and pulled her onto his lap. He nestled his face into her soft, warm throat and enjoyed the feel of her on his lap.

"Ali... you smell so good." He whispered, then he looked up into her face. "Is it okay if you sit on my lap? I should've asked you first."

Alice giggled. "It's okay, Jas. I love snuggling with you." She put her arms around his middle and laid her head on his chest. The six friends talked excitedly about their day until the comedian came out onstage. The man performing was really funny and Edward told them that he had seen him online in a YouTube video. He was really popular and had a hilarious sense of humor. They enjoyed the show and laughed until they hurt. After the show, Bella suggested they walk around and find an ice cream place. She was in the mood for some dessert and wanted something really decadent. Alice and Jessica agreed, and the boys escorted them on a quest to find the ultimate State Fair ice cream dessert.

Finding a stand that was serving hand dipped ice cream, Bella ordered a huge hot fudge sundae complete with waffle bowl, whipped cream and a cherry. Edward and Jessica ordered the same, but with hot caramel instead of hot fudge. Brent decided on a banana split with the works and turned to Alice and Jasper.

"Your turn." He told them with a grin. "What are you guys going to have?"

"Well, I'm not sure... " Alice trailed off, still looking at the menu.

"What's wrong, Darlin'?" Jasper asked her as she chewed her lip.

"I'd like some ice cream, but they're all so big. I really can't eat all that, especially after the dinner we just had." She told him, debating if she should order something, or not.

"We could share one. I don't have room for a whole one myself." Jasper offered. Alice smiled up at him, glad that he was acting normally again.

"That's perfect, Jas. We can always get something else later, if you're still hungry." She offered.

They ordered one of the huge sundaes with fresh strawberries on it and Jasper asked for extra whipped cream and two cherries, wiggling his eyebrows at Alice as he ordered.

They all made their way over to the only open table and the boys sat in three of the available chairs and pulled the girls down onto their laps. There was much giggling, kissing and feeding of each other, and the three couples agreed that it was the best ice cream they had ever eaten.

Jasper licked the sticky sweetness off of Ali's lips as she wiggled around, and gave her a cocky grin. She blushed and giggled at him. "Ready to see more of the fair, Darlin'? He asked her, trying to ignore the feel of her barely-covered bottom moving around on his lap.

Alice nodded and hopped off of Jasper, smiling happily. He stood up, smiling and, grabbing her hand went to throw their garbage away. The other two couples followed, and they all decided to walk toward the games to see if anything exciting was going on.

The six friends strolled along, just happy to be together, and watched all the people around them enjoying all that the State Fair had to offer. They came upon the game booths and the boys started arguing over which game they should play and who was better at what. The girls laughed and rolled their eyes.

Bella said to Edward, "Why don't you guys play all of the games and show us who's the best?"

Jessica and Ali agreed, and the three girls continued to spur the boys on to compete with each other.

"I wonder if my big, strong boyfriend could win me one of those cute, little ol' teddy bears?" Jessica teased.

Brent smirked at her. "Of course, I can." he boasted, flexing his muscles.

Everyone laughed and Brent went over to show his skill at one of the games. The other boys followed behind him and soon, the three of them were good-naturedly competing for the title of best game player. The girls laughed as they watched them and built up their egos with fawning words of encouragement.

Edward turned to Bella in triumph, handing her a large purple stuffed teddy bear. Bella grinned and kissed him, hugging the bear to her chest when they pulled apart. Brent frowned at Edward and Jasper just tried harder, the tip of his tongue poking out from between his lips as he put all his efforts into winning. Finally, Jasper let out a shout and pointed to a pink stuffed kitten. He handed the kitten to Alice, grinning from ear to ear, and Alice stretched up on her tiptoes to give him a big kiss of thanks.

The girls continued to giggle as the boys kept up the competition. Brent finally yelled out and fist-punched the air as he won. He looked over at Jessica with a huge grin on his face and told her, "Which prize would you like, Jess? You can pick any one you want."

The other two boys rolled their eyes at his attempt to out-do them by letting Jessica pick her prize. This only caused them to step up their efforts even more so that they could have their girlfriends pick out a prize also.

The girls decided to have fun by distracting the boys and each moved over to stand next to their boyfriend. They took turns whispering in their ears and coming up with new ways to get their attention. Alice grinned naughtily up at Jasper and ran her hand up his leg. She felt him draw in his breath and he looked down at her with a scowl as he missed his target.

"Alice!" he groaned. "No fair!" Alice burst into a fit of giggles and the other two girls followed suit. The three of them were just catching their breath again, when they heard a familiar voice.

"Hey guys!" Ian Somerfield called out. "I didn't think you guys would still be around tonight."

The boys walked up and greeted him and shook his hand. The girls greeted Kristy, who was next to him and then, Mara, who was with them, as well. Alice felt a small feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, but brushed it off. They had been having a great time and she wasn't going to let her negative thoughts ruin it.

"What are you guys doing, any way?" Ian asked the boys.

"We're competing to see who can win the most prizes." Edward offered. The other two boys laughed and Ian joined in.

He greeted the girls with a chuckle. "I notice you each have a prize, so they must be tied right now, huh?"

The girls nodded. "Yes, but they are trying their hardest to beat each other." Jessica giggled. "They are hilarious!"

"We even started competing to see who could distract them the most." Alice giggled, looking over at Jasper. Her heart almost broke in two as she saw him gazing at Mara. Her smile faltered, but she managed to keep up the pretense, as Ian teased them about what kind of distractions they had come up with.

Alice tried to keep her attention on Ian and the other girls, but she stole quick glances at Jasper to see if he was still studying Mara. He had the courtesy to try to pretend he wasn't looking at her, but Alice caught him glancing at her when he thought no one was looking. Suddenly, all of Alice's fears and insecurities were realized. She could see the attraction between Mara and Jasper, and she didn't know how long she could pretend that she didn't.

She looked desperately at Edward, hoping to convey her feelings to him, but he was too caught up in Bella and the conversation with Kristy and Ian, to take notice of her. She felt as though she was going to melt into a big puddle any minute and gripped her hands together in an attempt to keep from falling apart.

She heard the conversation around her as though it were coming at her through a tunnel, hollow and distorted. She fought to keep it together and locked her shaky knees to keep upright. "You're being silly, Alice Cullen." she told herself. "Jasper is just curious. He loves you. He is not interested in the new girl in that way."

She almost had herself convinced when Ian said he was going to win Kristy a prize and Mara said in a pouty voice, "I wish I had someone to win a prize for me."

Jasper piped up, "I'll win one for you, Mara." and Mara put her hand on his arm and looked up at him.

"Thank you! That is so sweet of you." She batted her lashes at him and added, "Jasper? Right?"

He nodded and smiled goofily at her, and everyone around them shuffled uncomfortably, trying not to look at Alice. Alice's pride finally kicked in and she said, "That is so thoughtful of you, Jas." She put her hand on his other arm and pointedly looked at Mara. "Jasper is always so considerate, and such a gentleman. His mama taught him well, didn't she, baby?" She smiled sweetly up at Jasper and he blinked down at her before smiling and nodding.

"Yeah, I guess." he agreed, and Alice felt like kicking him as he turned his grin back toward Mara. "What prize do you want, Mara?" he asked her, as Mara took her hand off of his arm.

She gave Alice a sly glance and said excitedly, "I would just love one of those teddy bears with the heart on them."

Alice added innocently, "Oh! Like the one Ian won for me, earlier." She smiled over at Ian and told Kristy how Ian had knocked all of the pins off of the table to win the bear. The whole time, she kept her hands wrapped around Jasper's arm and he stood next to her, without moving. She looked up at him again, and he was looking down at her with a frown on his face. She raised her eyebrow at him in question and he just slightly shook his head, his frown deepening.

Alice was heartsick and didn't know how to handle the situation. Jasper made to move to the game booth where the heart bears were and the other boys walked with him, followed by the girls. Alice had to remove her hands from Jasper's arm as he moved away, and she felt her knees go weak. She valiantly tried to keep standing and looked desperately around for somewhere to sit. Spotting a bench, she hurried over to it, but before she could reach it, her knees buckled and she went down on them, hard, dropping her pink kitten on the dirty ground.

"Alice!" Jessica called, running back over to her. "Are you okay?" Jessica crouched next to her and Alice, still kneeling on the ground, shook her head and put her head in her hands.

Bella was right behind Jessica and knelt next to her, as well. Pushing Alice's hair back from her face, she asked her what was wrong.

"I just felt dizzy." Alice told her, not looking up. "I'll be fine in a minute."

Bella and Jessica helped her up and over to the bench. Alice sank gratefully onto the bench and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, you guys." She said to Bella and Jessica. "I can't believe I got so dizzy." Alice rubbed her forehead as she kept her head down, trying to play off her weakness and waiting for the dizziness to pass.

Alice felt someone walk up and raised her head to see Kristy and Ian standing there, Kristy had the stuffed kitten in her hand. "Alice, Ian said he saw you fall down. Are you okay?" she asked, handing Alice her stuffed pink kitten.

"I'm fine, Kristy. Thank you." Alice told her, brushing some dirt off of her stuffed prize. "I just got a little dizzy."

Ian looked over his shoulder toward Jasper and frowned. "I think Jasper should take you back to your hotel now, Ali."

Alice shook her head. "No! No. I'm fine." She said looking up at Ian. "Thank you, though."

Ian just looked into her eyes, frowning. "Well, if you change your mind, we can call Emmett, okay?"

Alice nodded, gratefully and made to stand up. Ian stopped her. "No, Ali. Just sit here for a couple minutes. I'll get you something to drink." Ian walked away and the girls gathered around Alice.

"I'm fine, you guys. Really." she told them, looking up at the three girls around her.

"Poodle poop!" Kristy exclaimed, causing the other girls to giggle. "Mara is hitting on your man and she needs to be slapped."

"I thought she was your friend... " Bella began, looking puzzled.

"She is, but going after someone else's boyfriend is not acceptable! Every girl knows that." Kristy scowled, hands on her hips. "You have to show her that he is taken, Ali."

"I tried..." she whispered, looking down. "But he went with her any way..."

Jessica stroked her arm. "It's okay, Ali. Jasper is just being nice. You know how he is."

"Yeah, he loves you, Ali. We all know that." Bella added, brushing some hair out of Alice's face. "He's not interested in her."

"Alice, you need to toughen up and knock her on her ass." Kristy made a growling noise. "If I had known... " She felt a touch on her arm and spun around.

"If you had known, what?" Ian asked, his hand on her arm. He bent forward and handed Alice a cup of lemonade.

Alice took the lemonade gratefully. "Thank you, Ian." She murmured, taking a long drink from the cup.

Ian nodded and looked back at Kristy. "If you had known... what?" He prompted.

Kristy tossed her head, flipping her hair away from her face. "If I had know that Mara was a skanky boyfriend stealer, I never would've introduced her to Jas."

Ian looked over toward the games again. Edward, Mara and Jasper were watching Brent try his hand at one of the games. Mara held her teddy bear against her chest with one hand and had the other on Jasper's arm. They were all laughing and the boys were teasing each other. Ian made a disgusted sound and knelt down in front of Alice taking her hand in his.

"Sweetie, you know that Jasper probably doesn't even realize what she's doing, don't you?" Ian asked her gently, looking compassionately into her troubled eyes. "He is just being nice. Just like he would be to anyone."

"Okay." Alice said in a small voice, nodding her head.

Ian looked down at Alice's knee and frowned. There was blood running down her leg from an abrasion on her knee. "Do any of you have a napkin?" He asked looking around.

Bella pulled some tissues out of her pocket and handed them to Ian. "Thanks, Bella." Ian dabbed at the blood on her leg while Jessica questioned her again.

"Feeling better?" Jessica asked, looking down at Alice's lemonade. Alice nodded, but still looked pale. "Drink some more, Ali. Maybe it will help." Jessica told her.

Alice tipped the cup at her lips and let more of the tart, cold liquid fill her mouth. Her head was throbbing and her chest hurt, but she didn't want her friends to miss out on the fun because she was being overly dramatic. They were probably right, Jasper was always telling her that he loved her and that she was way too insecure.

"What's going on?" A smooth, masculine voice asked as all heads swiveled to look away from Alice and up at Jasper. Brent, Edward and Mara were standing behind him.

"Alice, are you all right?" Edward asked, concern taking over his face when he saw Ian cleaning blood off of her leg. He knelt in front of her and she handed the cup to Jessica and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck.

Edward rubbed her back and looked up at Bella with a frown, his eyes full of questions.

"She... said she was dizzy and we saw her fall on her knees." Bella explained. "Ian got her a cold drink." Edward nodded at Ian as Ian stood up, and Ian nodded back.

"Ali?" Edward asked her gently, still rubbing her back. "Are you still feeling dizzy?'

Alice sat up again with a small smile on her face. "No, Edward. I'm okay now." She told him, feeling better now that Edward was here. "I'm sorry to have caused trouble."

"Ali! Why do you always say that?" Brent demanded, kneeling down next to Edward. "You are no more trouble than any of us. We care about you, or we wouldn't be here."

"Thank you, Brent." She said, giving Brent a big smile.

Brent chucked her under the chin. "You're welcome, Teensy." He stood up and looked around at the waiting faces. "Now, shall we go enjoy some more of the fair, or is everyone ready to go back to the hotel?"

All eyes were on Alice as she looked at Brent. Slowly she looked around at them all. "I... I... It's up to you guys... I'm fine... really." Alice stammered, not knowing what she should say. She glanced at Mara who stood next to Jasper, clutching the small bear, no expression on her face. Her eyes then darted over Jasper and quickly went down to her lap.

Alice felt a soft touch on her cheek. She looked up into the emerald eyes she loved so much. "Darlin', if you're not feeling well, we can go back." He chuckled, kneeling next to Edward. "It's not like any of us haven't been to a fair before." The others laughed around them, having lost track of how many fairs they had been to already this summer. Everyone assured her it was all right if she wanted to go back to the hotel.

Alice smiled shyly, feeling uncomfortable being the center of attention for so long. "I'd like to stay." She said, picking her pink kitten up off of the bench.

"Okay, then." Edward said, standing up and grabbing Bella's hand. "What should we do now?"

The rest of the group gathered around and they discussed what they should do next. Jasper stood up and, taking Alice's hand, helped her to her feet, watching her closely to make sure she was all right. She smiled gratefully up at him and he leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"You sure you're okay, now?" He asked as Alice tried out her legs.

"Yep." She chirped. "No more dizziness."

Jasper smiled, but still looked concerned. "Okay, but you'll tell me if you start feeling ill again, right?"

"Yes, Jasper." He looked at her sternly. "I promise." She added at his look.

Mara watched this scene with disdain. "No wonder she's such a wimp." Mara thought. "They all treat her like she's a baby." She had watched them cater to Alice like she was an infant, and she could tell from Alice's demeanor that she really didn't like it, but had no idea what to do about it.

"Stealing Jasper from her should be a piece of cake." She smirked to herself. She looked over at Jasper petting and murmuring to Alice and licked her lips. Damn, he was hot. She couldn't wait to get her hands on him. She was used to getting what she wanted, so why should this time be any different.


	58. What New Girl?

58.

What New Girl?

Jasper swallowed as he felt Mara's hand on his arm again. He could tell she was attracted to him, hell, he thought she was pretty hot, too, he just wasn't interested in anything from her beyond friendship. He was more than primed for sex, but, if that was what she was offering, he only wanted it with Alice. He was prepared to wait, he loved Alice and he knew nothing was ever going to change that.

He cheered as Brent scored again at the game he was playing and glanced around to see where the other girls had gotten off to. Slight panic rose in his chest when he saw Ian and the other girls gathered around Alice.

"Hey, Ed! Something's going on with Ali!" He called over his shoulder as he hurried over towards Alice. He felt his chest tighten when he saw Ian cleaning blood off of her leg, and stopped to gain control of himself so he didn't over-react. He knew Alice hated when he was over-protective and he was trying so hard to be everything she needed him to be.

Edward bent forward and tended to Alice. "Alice! Are you all right?" He asked, his face and voice showing his concern. Ali wrapped her arms around him like her life depended on it, and it was all Jasper could do not to knock him out of the way and grab onto her himself.

Then Brent had gotten in the way, kneeling in front of Alice to reassure her, and Jasper had to actually hold his breath and count to ten before he could trust himself not to do something stupid. Brent finally stood up, but he didn't move, and Jasper felt his patience slipping, that is until Alice looked around at everyone, except for him. When her eyes avoided him and then dropped to her lap, it stopped him cold.

"Damn it! Now what did I do wrong?" He thought, going over everything in his mind. Maybe she _had_ wanted him to rush over and coddle her. Would he ever get it right, he wondered in frustration. He felt someone brush against his side and looked over to see Mara practically standing on top of him. He hoped that she didn't think he was interested just because he won her a cheap, stuffed carnival bear. He felt sorry for her when she had wanted someone to win her a bear, but that didn't mean they were anything more than they were before.

Suddenly, the space in front of Alice was open and Jasper moved forward hesitantly. Touching her cheek softly, he told her, "Darlin', if you're not feeling well, we can go back to the hotel."

He knelt down in front of her, next to Edward, and chuckled as he said, "It's not like any of us haven't been to a fair before." The others all laughed at his words, but he was intent on Alice's sweet face. Her soft blueberry eyes looked troubled and he wondered what was bothering her besides her knee.

Her knee did look pretty sore despite Ian having cleaned up the blood. Jasper wanted to pick her up and carry her back to the hotel, but he knew she'd hate that, so, he helped her up after she'd decided that she wanted to stay, and just watched her carefully to make sure she really was all right. He made her promise that she'd tell him if she started feeling ill again and they proceeded to take in the delights of the fair with their friends.

Alice clutched the pink kitten from Jasper to her chest and wondered what he was thinking about. She watched him scowling thoughtfully and worried that he was pondering over his attraction to Mara. Alice knew that he wouldn't act on his attraction, he was too honorable for that, but it was apparent that Mara wasn't that honorable and wasn't going to wait for Jasper to make the first move. She touched and flirted with him at every opportunity and Alice didn't know how much longer she could take it. Her stomach was in knots and her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was go back to the hotel and go to bed.

Kristy was being outwardly hostile toward Mara and Ian was trying his best to keep her reigned in. Alice felt so bad for causing trouble there, but Mara didn't even seem to notice and kept up her boyfriend stealing efforts. Jasper hadn't really seem bothered by her efforts as he'd smiled and paid attention to her, and Alice debated calling Emmett to take her back several times. The only thing keeping Alice from dialing Emmett's number now, was that Jasper was putting extra effort into spending time with her since she got hurt, and she didn't know how to get away from him.

Alice glanced at Edward and wondered if she should tell him that she was tired. Of course, if she did, then everyone else would feel like they had to go back to the hotel, as well, and she was already upset enough as it was. She didn't want to disappoint every one else, too.

Alice let out a sigh and Jasper glanced over at her again. She was gazing longingly at Edward and Jasper wondered what she wanted to talk to Edward about. He wished she would talk to him instead, he was closer to her than Edward was, but she would barely even look at him. He racked his brain for the tenth time in ten minutes for a clue as to what he had done to make her want to be away from him. He couldn't think of anything except that he had hesitated in going to her when she had hurt her knee.

He let out a little growl of frustration and Mara, who was walking right in front of him, turned around to smirk back at him.

"What the hell is her problem?" He thought, watching her turn back around and exaggeratedly sway her hips. He wished for the millionth time that Ian and Kristy would leave, and take Mara with them. She was distracting him from figuring out what was bothering Alice and, frankly, he was already tired of fending off her advances. He wasn't mad at Ian and Kristy, it was just that Mara was with them, and she would leave when they did, at least he hoped she did.

He looked down at Alice again and she quickly looked away. She had finally looked up at him, and he had been preoccupied with Mara's antics. He kept his eyes on her face, hoping for a clue to her thoughts, and he saw her lip quiver as she glanced over at Mara. Then is dawned on him, she was upset because she thought he was interested in Mara. He almost did a happy dance he was so relieved. She had probably seen the way Mara was hitting on him and, knowing Alice, she thought that, because he had won her that bear, he liked Mara, too. If he could do it over, he never would've won her that damn bear. He was just trying to be nice and felt bad that she was a fifth wheel. He should learn not to be so quick to help people out, but that's just the way he was.

All this time, Alice had probably been stewing over Mara, and here all he'd thought about was getting a peek at what color panties she had on under that tiny little skirt of hers. He just about laughed out loud, but the others would think he had gone off the deep end. He smirked to himself and looked around for a place where he could be alone with Alice for a few minutes.

He saw the Ferris Wheel at the same time that Brent turned and excitedly asked everyone if they wanted to go on it. They all agreed and made their way over to where the line ended.

"Jas?" Mara said in a breathy voice, laying her hand on his arm again. "Since Ali is so small, is it all right if I go with the two of you on the Ferris Wheel? There should be enough room for three."

Alice looked up at Jasper as he turned to Mara. "Oh, great! Now I'll get stuck watching the two of them making goo-goo eyes at each other twenty feet in the air." She thought.

Alice had just decided to decline the ride and let the two of them go alone, when Jasper spoke up.

"Sorry, Mara, but I need to go on this with Alice alone." He smiled down into Alice's shocked face. Looking up at Mara, he added, "I'm sure there is someone else who will go on it with you." Smiling at Mara, he nodded toward Mark and Brice who were wandering toward them, and led Alice over to the car that had just stopped for them.

As they passed Kristy and Ian, he heard Kristy mutter, "It's about damn time."

He couldn't help but grin at Kristy. Hey, he may be a little slow, but he wasn't stupid enough to mess up the best thing in his life, especially for some girl he didn't even know. Besides, the more he was around Mara, the more unattractive she became, and the more beautiful Alice was.

He helped Alice into the Ferris Wheel car and got in next to her. He secured the gate on their car and settled his arm around her as the Wheel went around to let the others on.

"Alice?" Jasper started uncertainly once they were off the ground. "You know I love you, right?"

Alice looked up at him with dread. "Uh-oh! Here it comes," She thought anxiously. This was why he wanted to ride with her alone. He was going to break up with her.

Her eyes betrayed her fear and a sharp pain pierced Jasper's heart at her apprehension. He smiled kindly as he smoothed her hair off her face and leaned down to look directly into her eyes.

"I've been trying to figure out why you were so quiet and why you wouldn't look at me. I wanted to ask you, but I couldn't seem to get you alone. I finally figured it out. You think I like Mara, don't you?" He asked her, trying to keep his face as blank as possible.

Her eyes flared with surprise and then dismay, and he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. "Ali, how can you be so insecure? You are the smartest, sweetest, most beautiful girl ever. Don't you know how much I love you, Darlin'?" Jasper shook his head. "I just don't understand you. I get so jealous when another guy just talks to you, and you think I would honestly be interested in another girl?" His eyes twinkled and his lips curled into a sexy grin. "All I've been thinking about all night, besides what the hell I did to make you mad, is... " He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "if I'd be able to get a peek at what color panties you have on under that tiny, little skirt of yours."

Alice gasped, her eyes going wide, and Jasper was sure her face was beet red, though it was too dark to be certain. His devilish grin went wider and he leaned in once more. "You wouldn't want to show me, would you?" He breathed against the skin of her throat, just below her ear.

Alice shivered from his warm breath and brazen talk about her panties. She pulled away from him and took in the wolfish expression on his face. She gave him a flirty look. "They're mint green... cotton bikinis." She told him impishly. "I'll show you if you want, but it'll be hard to see the color in this light."

Jasper groaned and put his hands on her arms. "I'd love to see them, Darlin', but I think I'd better just settle for a kiss right now, if you don't mind."

Alice grinned at him happily and let him pull her close. He lightly touched her lips with his, wrapping her in his arms, but Ali was having none of that and deepened the kiss, running her fingers through his thick, golden hair. A deep moan made Jasper's chest vibrate and Alice felt it all the way to her toes. She shifted on the seat to try to alleviate the sudden ache she felt, and Jasper grinned against her mouth.

Pulling back, she took in his knowing smirk and smacked him on the chest. He laughed at her. "Don't be mad, Sugar. I've got the same problem." He cracked, shifting on the seat himself. "Hell, I bet most of the people on here have that particular problem right now." He chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Alice giggled and felt happy for the first time since they had run into Ian, Kristy and Mara. She regretted all the time she had wasted worrying and feeling bad about herself, and here she and Jasper were, ardently making out on the Ferris Wheel. She just needed to remember to talk to him from now on, like she had promised. If she had, she would've had a much better evening. Of course, there was always the possibility that he would've said the opposite, that he _was_ attracted to Mara, but at least she would've known.

Well, she wasn't going to dwell on it any more. She and Jasper were happy now, and she was going to be satisfied with that. Mara could flirt with him all she wanted, but she wasn't going to waste any more time worrying about it. She was going to enjoy the rest of the night with _her_ boyfriend, and to hell with Mara.

"Damn it!" Mara thought, waiting by the base of the Ferris Wheel. She was convinced that Jasper had wanted her, too. "Oh well, I've got plenty of time." She thought, "I'll show him that I am not a child like _some_ girls here." She had made plans for him to find her in her hotel room, but decided to wait until they were back in school before really making a play for him. He wouldn't know what hit him once he was hers.

"Ha!" She said as a thought occurred to her. "He probably hasn't even slept with Alice yet. No wonder he dances around her like a puppy promised a treat." Mara chuckled to herself. Well, after a few more weeks of deprivation, he'd probably be more than ready for a real woman. She'd just bide her time and he'd be begging to be with her before long.

Anticipation made her lick her lips, she knew that Jasper would definitely be worth waiting for. He was a big boy, and gorgeous, and he'd be hers to do with what she pleased. All she had to do was sit back and let Alice get him all worked up, then she'd slip right in and offer him the world. She cackled and rubbed her hands together with glee, William's Bay wasn't going to be that bad, after all.

"Ali..." Jasper groaned into the soft, warm spot where her neck and shoulder met. "We have to stop. I'm not going to be able to walk when we get off of here."

Alice had her head back as Jasper feasted on her sensitive skin. Her breath was coming in little pants and her hair was twisted in Jasper's long fingers. She gripped his biceps to keep herself from spinning away and moaned. "Jas... I don't want to... stop."

Jasper raised his head and studied her through a haze of lust. "You don't want to stop? Or you want me to stop?" He asked, puzzled.

Alice grabbed his face in her hands and pulled him back to her, fastening her lips to his and running her hands down his shirtfront. Jasper chuckled. "I guess that answered my question." He thought, grinning. He pulled away and Alice groaned and tried to grab onto him again.

Jasper took her hands in his and murmured to her. "Ali, Darlin', we have to stop. The ride is almost over. People will see."

He watched as Alice opened her eyes and looked up at him, her lids heavy and the blue of her eyes almost black in the colorful lights of the carnival rides. He was happy to see that he effected her as much as she effected him. Her lips were parted and she was trying to gain control of her breathing as she squirmed slightly in her seat. He smirked as he imagined her soft, mint green cotton panties damp because of him and the thought made him want to plunder her lips all over again. He separated himself from her instead and shifted in his seat.

Jasper watched Alice smooth her hair and groaned aloud when she wiggled around a little more in her seat. Her eyes flew to his at the noise and she looked embarrassed and wouldn't meet his eyes when she realized that he knew why she was shifting in her seat. If the light wasn't so dim, he'd know for certain her cheeks were bright pink this time. He smiled to himself, could she be any more enticing?

Alice couldn't believe how alive she felt when Jasper kissed her. She felt as though life was just pulsating though her when they were together like that and her body ached for his touch. "He must feel it, too." She thought, and felt so relieved that he still loved her. She was certain that he would be eager for her touch once they got back home. "Maybe that dress would come in handy, after all." She thought with a grin.

The rest of the evening passed smoothly with Alice enjoying Jasper's attention. Mara pretty much stayed away from him since Brice and Mark had shown up and were keeping her busy competing for her attention. Mara seemed pleased with this arrangement and, though Alice saw her eying Jasper a few times, he didn't seem to really notice that she was even there.

They all had a great time and, when they came upon an area set up as a dance floor, Jasper asked her to dance. Alice grinned up at him and nodded, and Jasper enfolded her in his arms. She snuggled right into his chest and let out a contented sigh. He smiled down at her and kissed her hair as they swayed to the music. He looked up to see Kristy and Ian dancing as well, and Kristy winked at him. He grinned at her and noticed that everyone in there group was dancing, Mara with Brice and Mark with a girl he didn't know.

They all danced until Edward heard his phone ring and told them that Emmett was ready to go. Saying their good-byes to Kristy and Ian, Jasper promised that they would call them so they could get together and Alice gave them both a big hug.

"I'm really sorry about Mara, Alice." Kristy whispered to Alice when they hugged.

"It's all right, Kristy. Jas and I talked about her. Everything is fine." Alice whispered back with a smile.

"Oh, good. I'm so glad." Kristy told her and hugged her tighter. "You and Jasper are so great together, Ali. I wouldn't want to see anyone mess that up. Well, we'll see you soon, then." She said, letting Alice go.

"For sure!" Alice chirped and waved, as Jasper led her away.

"How was the concert?" Jasper asked as they approached Rosalie and Emmett.

"It was tight!" Emmett exclaimed. "They rocked the house, Dude! You and Ali shoulda' come! You would've loved it!"

Rosalie and Jasper laughed at Emmett's enthusiasm. "You would've, Jas. It was so great!" Rose told him. "The guitarist was so awesome. His style reminded me of you and his playing was first-rate. Maybe not as smooth as yours, but really good."

"Thanks, Rose. I'd like to check him out some time." Jasper told her as Edward and Bella walked up to them.

"Who do you want to check out?" Edward asked, Brent also showing interest as he approached.

"The guitar player in the band that Rose and Em saw." Jasper told them. "Rose said his playing reminded her of mine."

"Cool!" Brent enthused. "I heard that they were pretty good. We'll have to check them out sometime."

Bella grinned at Alice. "I guess we'll have to have Ali find out where they're playing next so we can go see them."

Alice nodded and returned her grin. "I can do that." She chirped and Jasper gave her hand a warm squeeze.

"Well, you guys all ready to hit the hay?" Emmett asked everyone in general. "I know I'm beat and I didn't win no Battle of the Bands concert." He added, reaching over to give Edward a playful rub on his head.

"Hey! The do! The do!" Edward screeched playfully. "Don't be messing up the do!"

"It looks like Bella already did that for ya', Ed." Emmett teased him. "You have her running her fingers through it?"

Emmett cracked up as he saw Bella turn beet red and Edward try to smooth down his unruly hair.

"Yeah, Em. We all went on the Ferris Wheel." Jasper told him, wiggling his eyebrows with a smirk. "You know how much fun they can be after dark."

Now it was Alice's turn to blush and Emmett covered his ears and hollered. "No! I don't want to hear stuff like that from you, Jas! God! That's my baby sister!" He turned to glare at him. "Don't give me a reason to kill you, Jasper. Rosalie would have my hide."

"Damn straight, I would, Emmett Cullen." Rosalie interjected. "I told you before, Alice can handle Jasper just fine." She turned to Alice. "Can't you, Ali?" At Alice's deepening blush and shrug, Rose turned back to Emmett. "Besides, Jas is a good boy and he knows how to be responsible." She stood on her toes so that her nose was even with Jasper's and looked him straight in the eyes. "Don't you, Jasper?"

Jasper looked right back at her, his face totally serious. "Yes, I do, Rosalie, and I am not going to do anything to hurt Alice."

Rosalie smiled smugly as she lowered back to the ground and looked at Emmett. "See? Nothing to worry about." She announced.

Emmett snorted. "When you're a teenaged boy, Rose, then I'll have more confidence in your opinion. Until then, forgive me if I'm not a hundred percent convinced."

"Whatever, Emmett!" Rosalie huffed and rolled her eyes. "Can we just go now? This conversation is way past getting on my nerves." She started walking toward the parking lot and the others followed her.

Emmett grabbed onto Jasper's arm, halting him, and pointed his finger at his face. "I'm watching you, Jas."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Em, do you think I am going to willingly give you a reason to kick my ass? Come on!"

Emmett let go of his arm and looked over to see Alice watching them. "Jas, just look at her. All I'm asking is for you not to rush her. She's so... young."

Jasper studied Alice for a minute as they walked. She gave him a tentative smile as she walked backwards next to Rose. She was so small and innocent looking, and Jasper felt guilt pound through his chest at the ways he had already corrupted her. "I won't, Em. You know I wouldn't hurt her for the world."

Emmett put his arm around Jasper's shoulders. "Okay, Jas. I know you wouldn't. It's just hard for me to wrap my head around this. I know you're my best friend, but you're also like, another brother to me. You with my baby sister is just... " He shook his head, a look of dismay on his face. "I knew it was coming... some day, but I wasn't ready for it, yet, ya' know?"

Jasper nodded, remembering how upset he'd been when he'd first realized he was attracted to Alice. "Yeah, Em. I know exactly what you mean. Believe me."

Jasper looked toward his phone as it vibrated on the table next to his bed. He had been exhausted when they'd finally gotten home this evening from Milwaukee, and he had taken a nice, long nap. Now, he lay on his bed absent-mindedly strumming his acoustic guitar and thinking about Ali. He missed her already and wanted to sneak over and see her, but he figured she was probably asleep.

He amended that thought as he glanced at the screen on his phone. It was a text message from Alice.

_Hi Jas! I hope I didn't wake u. _

_Our parents are going to that charity event downtown tomorrow. _

_Edward will be with Bella. Who knows what Em & Rose are doing. _

_If u don't have plans, I thought I'd make us lunch. _

_Let me know. ~ Ali xx_

Jasper grinned. She was missing him as much as he was missing her. She wanted to make him lunch? He wished he had his driver's license, then he'd take her out to lunch. They could walk into town he supposed. They had a lot of fun last time they did that.

___Hi Gorgeous! I was already awake - missing u._

___I'd love to have lunch with u, but let's walk into town_

_& I'll take u to lunch instead. I really had fun last time._

_Luv u! Jas xx_

"Damn it!" Alice thought reading Jasper's text. Her plan wasn't going to work if he insisted on going into town. She pondered what to tell him but couldn't think of a single thing. Then she had an idea. He always thought she was so fragile and delicate. She'd use that misconception against him. She grinned as she text him back.

_I'd really rather stay home. I'm so tired from all the traveling we've done. _

_ If that's OK with u. _

Jasper read Alice's text with guilt. "Of course, she must be exhausted! Jasper, you knuckle head." He scolded himself. "She's so tiny and tires so easily."

He thoughtfully sent a message back to her.

_Of course, Ali! I should've thought of that. I'm so sorry!_

_What time would u like me to come over? Or do u want to come over here? _

_I could make u lunch._

Alice smiled in relief. She knew he'd want to take care of her first. He was always so over-protective. She bit her lip as she thought about how much time she'd need. Alice quickly text him, hoping he'd be happy with her plan.

_U come over here. _

_How about noon? Does that sound good? _

He answered immediately which made Alice grin.

_Noon is perfect. I'll see you then._

_Sleep good, luv!_

_Jas xx_

She sighed at how sweet he was and wished him a good night, as well. She couldn't wait until tomorrow.

Alice could hardly finish her make up, her hands were shaking so badly. "What if he gets mad at me?" She thought. "What if he gets carried away?" Alice blanched. "What if I get carried away?"

She stopped herself before she could get any more freaked out. Everything would be fine. She studied herself in the mirror and, deciding that Jasper would like the 'Less-is-More' look, put her makeup away and washed her hands. She smoothed her dress down and went into her room to slip on her shoes.

Checking herself out one last time before she started down the stairs, Alice hoped that Jasper liked how she looked.

The doorbell rang as Alice reached the bottom of the stairs. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and opened the door. She stood in the doorway looking down at Jasper's shoes.

"Uh... Wow... Ali." Alice looked up at Jasper from under her lashes to see him staring at her, a stupefied look on his face.

"Come on in, Jas." Alice gestured with her hand. She closed the door behind him. "I have to go upstairs for a second." She started up the stairs, then turned back to see Jasper still staring at her. "Coming?" She asked him, before continuing up the stairs.

Jasper started up after her in a daze. He watched the hem of her dress gently sway against the back of her thighs and wondered how someone as small as she could have such long legs. Alice paused in the doorway of her bedroom and gave him a shy look. His brow arched at her in question and she walked into her room. He followed her and stopped when he walked into her room.

"What's going on, Ali?" He asked her, taken aback by the sight of her in her soft, gauzy dress. The hem barely skimmed the top of her thighs and the material alternately clung to her body as she moved. The light blush color complimented her clear, creamy skin and dark, glossy hair, and the blush pink heels she wore added to the image of incredible sexiness far beyond her years. Jasper knew he was in trouble, but couldn't seem to look away from her. She stood by her bed, her face demure and her head down. She finally glanced up at him to see his eyes alight and she gave him a coy smile.

"Close the door, Jas." She breathed, watching his eyes darken. He pushed the door closed, his eyes never leaving her face, and turned the newly installed lock on the knob.

He slowly walked towards her, his eyes still locked on her face. "We can't, Ali. You know we can't." He rasped as he stalked closer. He stopped inches in front of her and she kept her head down but gazed up at him with her eyes.

"I want to... touch you, Jas." She finally whispered, causing him to groan deep in his throat and tilt his face to the ceiling, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"Ali... I can't. I just... " He looked down when he felt her small hands run up his chest. His eyes lowered from her face downward and he skimmed over her barely covered body and licked his lips. "Ali..." His voice betrayed his torment.

"Please... Jasper?" She tentatively ran her hand over the growing discomfort below his waist and he blew out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he drew her to him.


	59. What A Difference A Dress Makes

59.

What A Difference A Dress Makes

Jasper rang the doorbell and waited for Alice to open the door. He had always just walked in for years, having been practically the third son of the family, but since he and Alice had become an item, he felt uncomfortable just walking into the house when he wasn't with Edward or Emmett.

He heard noise coming from inside the house and smiled when the door swung open.

"Uh... Wow... Ali." He stuttered feeling utterly stupefied by her as she stood poised in the doorway looking down at the floor. His eyes roamed over her as he took in the soft blush material barely concealing her creamy skin from his view. The gauzy length of her dress barely touched the top of her thighs and hugged her body like it was caressing her. The neckline revealed the slight swell of her breasts and was attached to tiny puffed sleeves. It looked like she wasn't wearing a bra, and Jasper actually felt jealous of the material as it clung to her breasts and softly-rounded belly. She looked amazing!

"Come on in, Jas." Alice gestured him into the house and told him that she had to go upstairs for a second. He stood there staring after her as she approached the stairs, noticing that the wispy cloth barely touched the back of her thighs either.

He watched her start up the stairs, and Alice turned back toward him and asked him if her was coming. As he climbed up behind her, he wondered how her legs could look so long when she was so small. Her feet were in high heeled pumps almost the same blush pink color as her dress and, with her hair in long, flowing curls down her back, she looked sexy as hell.

She stopped at her bedroom door and turned to look at him again. Her look was almost shy and she was blushing. Jasper arched a brow at her in question and she walked into her room. He followed her, but stopped just inside the door. He stood there for a second with his mouth hanging open.

"What's going on, Ali?" He eventually asked her, knowing that he shouldn't be here, but unable to do anything about it. His eyes raked over her again as she stood next to her bed and she told him in a breathy voice to lock the door.

"Yes, Ma'am." Without stopping to think, he did as she said, his eyes never leaving her face, and turned the lock her dad had finally installed.

Jasper walked towards her as though in a daze. His eyes lit from within, he rasped out, "We can't, Ali. You know we can't." as his breath came in little pants. He stopped before her, his eyes still locked on her face and watched as she gazed up at him through her lashes. He was all he could do not to rip that scanty piece of fabric from her body and pound into her like he'd fantasized, but he clenched his fists and kept them down at his sides, putting everything he had into resisting temptation.

Alice whispered, "I want to... touch you, Jas." And it was almost his undoing but he turned his face up to the ceiling, partly so he couldn't see her, and partly as a plea for strength. He clenched and unclenched his fists in an attempt to keep what little control her had left and ground out. "Ali... I can't. I just..."

Suddenly, he felt her little hands run up his chest and he looked down at her. His eyes swept over her again and he licked his suddenly dry lips.

"Ali..." Her name tore from his throat, but he knew it was no use. His resolve was thin at best and he could only stare the inevitable in the face.

"Please... Jasper?" She purred as she lightly ran her hand over his straining erection and gazed up into his face..

Jasper huffed out the breath he'd unknowingly been holding and regretfully pulled Alice into his arms. He buried his face in her cloud of glossy, dark hair. "Ali, why are you doing this?" He groaned as she kept her hand on him. "You know what you do to me. I can't fight it forever. I'm only human."

Alice grinned triumphantly into his chest. "I know, Jas." She sighed, and began to fondle him through his pants. She heard him draw in an uneasy breath and her grin grew wider. She was in control and it felt amazing.

Alice outlined Jasper with her small hand and her brow winkled in concern. He felt a lot bigger than she imagined. She wondered how _it _could work, but she didn't plan on letting things go that far today, so she pushed her worries to the back of her mind. She could feel Jasper trembling as he stood frozen in front of her with his face still buried in her hair, and she wondered why.

"Jas?" She began, pulling slightly away and lowering her hand. She gasped as he straightened and stared down at her. His eyes were black with lust and his face was strained from holding back, but the fight was gone out of him and he was merely following her direction.

As she stood taking in his transformation, he slowly lowered his head. He saw her eyes widen with a spark of fear, but somewhere in his brain, he thought that she had brought it on herself and there was no turning back now.

Jasper attacked her mouth with his and devoured her lips as though he was famished and she his meal. He lifted her and laid her on the bed, following her down. Suddenly, his hands were everywhere, sweeping her hair aside so he could feast on her silky throat, pushing the tiny, puffy sleeves of her dress down so he could suck on her velvety skin, lifting the skimpy hem of pale pink fabric so he could touch her most intimate place.

Alice gasped as she felt Jasper push aside the satin of her panties and touch her with his fingers. She tried to bring her legs together, but he pushed his knee between hers to open them farther for his exploration. Overwhelming feelings clouded her brain and her hands curled around Jasper's upper arms for support. She felt the room spinning and her stomach clenched as Jasper kissed and sucked and touched. This isn't what she imagined when she thought about how today would go.

She imagined herself being in control, calling the shots, not the overwhelming whirlwind that was sucking every coherent thought out of her brain before she could process them. The sensations in her belly grew and she found herself running her hands up and down Jasper's arms, her blood singing in her veins. Her head was thrown back and her hair streamed out around her as she writhed on the bed.

Jasper's heavy breathing practically smothered Alice as he covered her lips again. She wanted to be in control, but he wouldn't stop long enough for her to get her composure.

"Jas..." She gasped into his mouth. He pulled back slightly and looked down at her. "Jas... I need to... talk... to you."

Jasper groaned and shook his head. "God, Alice. You're killing me. I can't do this any more." He smothered her protests with his mouth and continued to run his hands over her body.

The heat was building within her and she marveled at its intensity. Her head lolled back on the pillow and she gave in and just went with the sensations Jasper was building within her. She was on fire and her panting breaths did nothing to calm her down. She felt herself spiraling off the bed as the tension built and she openly moaned into Jasper's smothering lips.

Abruptly, Alice was torn from the pending heights of pleasure, down to reality. She tried to move away from the sharp, burning pain as she whimpered and tore her mouth away. "Don't..." She cried, her eyes opened wide and she pushed at Jasper's shoulders. Jasper froze above her and opened his eyes to stare down at her like he wasn't sure where he was.

"Alice?" He whispered. He saw her pain-filled eyes and slowly removed his finger from within her. She let out a gasp and he kissed a tear from her cheek. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Love." He murmured to her, stroking her soreness away. She was so wet that he never thought his finger would hurt her, but she was awfully small, too, and he knew that being inside her would be heaven.

The sensations quickly built within her again and Jasper worked his way down her throat once more. Alice plunged her fingers through Jasper's thick, sunlit hair and a soft keening sound wound from between her swollen lips. Her legs trembled and her back arched off the bed as pleasure crashed down on her.

"Jasper!" She cried before he covered her lips with his once again, swallowing the rest of her cries until she was quietly sobbing into his mouth. He pulled back and looked down at her again. She opened her eyes and the look of wonder she gave him almost had him exploding right then. He grinned down at her and she blushed and closed her eyes.

"Don't be shy, Darlin'." He teased her, kissing her nose. "You started this."

Alice slowly opened her eyes and gave him a playful pout. "No fair. I was supposed to be in control."

He grinned at her again. "Sorry, I can't always play by the rules." He then looked distressed. "I'm sorry I hurt you, Ali. I... didn't realize... I mean... you're so... small."

Alice blushed darker and lowered her eyes. "It's... all right..." She looked up at him impishly. "You made up for it."

Jasper chuckled and buried his nose in the silky skin of her throat, inhaling deeply. He stilled when he heard a small voice.

"Jas?" Alice said timidly.

"Uh oh..." Jasper thought. He wondered how long it'd be before she remembered. He raised up to look into her eyes again.

She gave him a sexy little grin. "I... well, you know..." Her already pink cheeks stained even darker, and she lowered her eyes. "I still want to... touch... you." She stammered, her throat suddenly very dry.

He let out a sigh, his erection past the point of pain. "I might as well let her." He thought. "There's no way I'm going to be able to avoid it now anyway."

He watched as she stared somewhere toward his chest as he held himself above her still. He knew she could feel him against her leg, so he rolled to the side and lay on his back next to her. She raised her eyes and looked at him and he turned his head so he could see her face.

"All right, Ali." He sighed again. He held up his hand when she started to raise herself from the bed. "You can touch me, but... I... don't want you to... look."

She looked at him in surprise. "What? Why?" She asked him.

Jasper raised his eyes to the ceiling, then looked back over at her again. His cheeks flushed as he spoke.

"I don't think you will... like what you see..." Jasper tried to explain. He didn't want to shock her, though he knew she'd seen males before, just not grown ones in the flesh, and not at full attention.

"Jasper, that is ridiculous." Alice scolded. "You've seen me..."

Jasper shook his head. "No. Not technically." He said. "I have touched, but not really... looked."

She rolled her eyes but decided to be happy he was willing to let her touch him. She sat up and leaned over him to fasten her lips to his once again. She slowly ran her hand over his shoulder and down his arm. He licked her lips and she opened hers slightly so he could run his tongue inside. She continued down his body with her hand, feeling the hardness of his muscles and loving the way his strength made her feel.

She stopped to lift his shirt so that she could caress his bare chest and abdomen, and he sucked in a breath at the feel of her small, warm hand on his skin. Alice felt his muscles contract under her hand and she suppressed a giggle. She didn't want to spoil the mood, but the feelings of power surging through her was pretty wonderful.

Alice glanced up at his face to see that his eyes were intense on her and she couldn't help the smirk that came to her lips. Jasper rolled his eyes and she giggled. He grinned at her and pulled her up for a kiss.

"You're a damn tease, you know that, Alice Cullen?" He said against her lips before plunging his tongue in her mouth. She wound her fingers through his hair as she lay on his chest, but then slowly lowered on hand to the waistband of his shorts.

Jasper sucked in his breath as he felt Alice run her fingers along the waist of his pants. He felt her fumble with the button for a second before it came free and then she lowered the zipper. He was totally aware of what she was doing, but he tried to concentrate on her lips. She parted the material of his shorts and reached into the opening of his boxers. He held his breath as he sprang into her hand and he heard her gasp. He opened his eyes and saw her look of surprise. She pulled back an inch from his face, and he wondered if she was appalled by the feel of him.

"It feels softer than I expected." She explained, her surprise turning to wonder. "And much... bigger." Her cheeks flooded with color again and he chuckled despite the feel of her tiny hand holding him. He sucked in his breath as she stroked her fingers down his length. "It feels like steel covered in like... velvet." She observed in amazement.

Jasper swallowed and closed his eyes. He knew it wouldn't take much. Just the idea of Ali touching him was enough, beside the fact that he had just gotten done pleasuring her. He swallowed again and then his eyes flew open. "Oh no!" he thought. He had forgotten to get a towel for the mess.

He reached down and stilled Alice's hand. "Uh... Ali?" She gave him a guarded look. "I'm not going to stop you... I just need a towel... or something." He told her, embarrassment showing in his expression.

Alice looked puzzled but then comprehension dawned and she made to get off the bed. Jasper quickly covered himself as she got to her feet and looked around the room. She went over to her dresser and got a handkerchief from the drawer. She turned back holding it up. "Will this be okay?" She asked.

Jasper nodded. He was not at all comfortable with this situation, but he wasn't going to back out now. This was something she really wanted and, if he was honest with himself, though he was apprehensive, he really wanted it, too. She smiled triumphantly and skipped back over to the bed. He briefly wondered how she could skip in such high heels but then concentrated on the task at hand.

Alice kicked off her shoes and got back on the bed. Crawling over him, she then lay full on his chest and started kissing him again. Pulling back she waved the handkerchief in front of his face and then proceeded where she had left off.

Her little hand felt so good running up and down him and he gritted his teeth against the pleasure-pain. She looked concerned. "Jas? Am I hurting you?" She asked him, concerned.

Jasper just shook his head and reached out for the handkerchief with one hand. With the other hand, he started stroking up and down Alice's back and then, cupping her butt in his hand, he began kissing her wildly. She felt a rumble in his chest and a deep, growling moan broke forth followed by several shudders running through him as he held the handkerchief over himself against Ali's hand.

Jasper melted into the mattress. He felt bone-weary and didn't know if he could get off the bed if his life depended on it. Alice took the handkerchief and set it in the garbage can before crawling back onto the bed. Jasper opened one eye and peaked at her to see that she had a very satisfied smirk on her face. He closed his eye but couldn't help the grin that covered his face. He heard Alice giggle and then felt her kissing his face all over.

Alice felt very smug. She had finally gotten Jasper to let her touch him and she knew she had him in her control. She saw him peak up at her and she couldn't stop the smirk that broke out on her face. It was so cute how he closed his eye again, and she could see the blush crawling over his cheeks. When he grinned, she lost it and started kissing his cheeks and chin. He had the most adorable grin and she could never resist it, even when they were little.

Jasper had covered himself when she had gotten up to throw out the handkerchief, but she really wanted to see what he looked like. She sighed, she supposed she shouldn't push him any more today, but she was determined to make him let her touch him whenever she wanted. She wanted to kiss him there, too. If he could let Savannah, he could let her. She was more important to him than Savannah, after all and, if he could trust Savannah, why couldn't he trust her?

Jasper let out a deep breath and Alice raised herself off his chest and looked him in the face. His eyes were still closed, but she knew he was awake.

"Jas?" she said. "Are you all right?" His blush deepened, but he nodded his head. She almost laughed again, but she didn't want to embarrass him any more. For acting all confident and full of himself, he sure was blushing a lot. She thought back to how she had felt when he touched her without her panties in the way. She blushed slightly, but remembered how wonderful it had felt. Until he poked her with his finger, that is. That had hurt a lot and she didn't want him to do it again. She didn't understand why he would want to do that any way, but she would tell him not to.

She lay back on Jasper's chest, thinking about what to do now. Obviously, he was just going to lay there, but she felt alive and full of energy.

"Jas?" she asked again. "Do you want to go have lunch now?" She felt him hold his breath for a second and then he let it out in a huff.

"Alice, aren't you exhausted?" he wondered, his eyes still closed.

"Not really." She said in a small voice. "I'm kind of... hyper, actually."

He blew out his breath again and she bristled. "What?" she demanded.

He chuckled. "Don't get your panties in a twist. I just can't get over how boneless I feel, and here you are, about to come right out of your skin."

Alice kissed his chin and giggled. "Well, I feel wonderful!" she sang out, "and I want to do something."

"I feel wonderful, too, but I want to sleep." Jasper said, still not opening his eyes.

"Jas..." she whined, her lower lip pouting. "This isn't turning out at all like I thought." Jasper opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Ali, please, just give me a few minutes, okay?" He told her, exasperated. "You have no idea how I feel right now."

Alice made a huffing noise and got off of him to lay on her back beside him. She crossed her arms over her chest, still pouting and looked up at the ceiling. She felt Jasper's eyes on her, but she didn't care. Her triumphant mood was gone and she was severely disappointed. She startled as Jasper suddenly sat up and leaned over her, his eyes mischievous.

"What's wrong, Ali?" he teased, a mocking grin on his face. "Are you... frustrated?" He watched her face as she scrambled for something to say. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks were a lovely shade of pink and her eyes were heavy-lidded and sparkling. Her hair lay around her head in a glossy, dark halo and she had never looked more beautiful.

"I'm... disappointed." she admitted, her lip still stuck in a pout. "I feel like dancing and singing, but you only want to lay around."

Jasper chuckled at her admission. She was always such a delight and he didn't feel so ashamed at being intimate with her any more. A wolfish smile shaped his lips as an idea came to him. He bent down and captured Alice's lips once more.

He nibbled on them for a second before he declared, "You're adorable, you know that?"

She turned her head away with a scowl. "I am not, _adorable_! Little kids are adorable."

He held her chin in his hand and turned her face back to his. "You, Miss Cullen, are adorable. You are also sweet, beautiful, sexy as hell and very caring. I want you so bad I can't stand it, but I also love you, and I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry if you are disappointed, but I cannot change how I feel any more than you can. I want to take a nap with you, so, since you aren't tired, I guess I will have to tire you out."

Her eyes widened as he lowered his lips to hers again and reached down to pull up her dress. She pushed at his shoulders, but he wouldn't budge and continued to plunder her lips. She tried to turn her head away, but he stopped her with his other hand and swept his tongue into her mouth. She stiffened as she felt his hand stroke her belly and the waistband of her lacy white panties. Soon she was panting into his mouth and he grinned against her lips. It was nice to be the one in control once in a while. She always complained that he was bossy, well, she was the one always in control, she just didn't know it, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Alice writhed on the bed as Jasper continued to stroke her satiny skin, moving closer and closer to where she wanted him. Finally, he pushed the lacy white fabric aside and touched her wetness. He had her purring into his mouth in no time. He pulled back to look at her face and enjoyed how she looked when he loved her. He glanced down her body and sucked in his breath at the sight of his fingers against her dark curls. She moaned and arched her back and he knew she was close. He panted himself, his arousal straining to reach her as her moisture flooded his hand.

With a groan, he returned to her lips and worked his lips down her jaw to her throat. She lifted her hips and he felt her legs trembling. He was so turned on and he involuntarily rubbed against her hip as she whimpered and panted into his shoulder. Her fingers tore through his hair and he moaned and closed his eyes, savoring the feelings she invoked in him.

Alice let out a little shriek as sensation ripped through her. Jasper could feel her pulsing against his hand and smiled against her throat. She thrashed her head back and forth and he moved to cover her mouth with his once again as little shrieks kept escaping from between them. She finally stilled and he moved back to her throat. He felt Alice relax with a sigh and he moved against her a couple more times before stiffening and biting down softly on her sensitive skin.

He melted into her but quickly moved off to the side so as not to squash her. They both lay there unable to move as the aftermath of their pleasure immobilized them.

Jasper felt Alice move her head to look over at him. "You bit me." she accused softly as he lay there with his eyes tightly closed. He wanted to apologize, but he couldn't make his mouth form the words, let alone actually say them out loud. He was on his side, laying slightly on her and he cracked open an eye to look at her. It took every once of strength he had at the moment and he would've grinned if he could've at the look on her face.

Finally, Jasper was able to move some. "I'm sorry, Ali. I didn't mean to. Are you all right?"

She continued to gape at him. "I can't believe you bit me..." she repeated and he chuckled.

"God, Ali. You just... feel and smell so... good. I couldn't help it." He groaned as he tried to move his heavy limbs. He managed to roll off of her and onto his back. "Ugh... I need to clean up." he muttered as he realized he'd made a mess of himself.

Alice giggled and he looked over at her. "What's so funny?" he grumbled.

"Nothing." she quipped. He groaned and, moved his head back, closing his eyes.

"I hate when you say that." He grumbled again. Alice giggled again and saw him scowl.

"You'd think you'd be happy after what just happened." Alice said with another giggle. She got up and crawled over him to get off of the bed. She turned to pull him up by his hands. "Come on, Crabby. Let's get cleaned up."

He let her pull on him but he didn't budge. "I don't wanna'..." he whined, his eyes still closed.

Alice rolled her eyes. "God! You're such a baby sometimes." she complained and pulling harder she demanded. "Come on, Jasper. Get up!"

He finally let her pull him up as he let out a sigh. "All right. Geeze." He sat up and got his bearings before staggering to his feet. He let her pull him to the bathroom and she told him she'd be right back. He got a wash cloth and was about to remove his shorts when she came back. She handed him a clean pair of boxers and some shorts from his drawer in Edward's room and a plastic bag.

"Thank you, Darlin'." He whispered, giving her a sweet kiss. She dimpled up at him as he pulled away.

"Get cleaned up and I'll wait for you in my room." She told him, closing the door behind her.

When Jasper was done and had stored his dirty clothes in the plastic grocery bag, he walked back into Alice's room. She was changed into roomy shorts and a T-shirt and laying on her bed. She opened her eyes and looked at him sleepily, patting the bed next to her. He grinned thankfully and sighed as he got into the bed with her and snuggled her into his side. He covered them with her blanket and they were asleep before the smile had relaxed from Jasper's face.


	60. What a Difference a Day Makes

60.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Alice blinked her eyes and focused on Jasper's sleeping face. Her features twisted into a scowl as she searched her fuzzy brain for the answer to why he was in her bed. Did she have another nightmare? If she did, she didn't remember it like she usually did. It was light out, but she had no idea what time it was.

"Oh well," thought Alice rolling over and snuggling her butt and back against Jasper's chest. He was so warm. And she was so... sleepy. She yawned and closed her eyes.

"Ding! You've got mail." Jasper opened his eyes and glanced around for a second before he realized where he was. He looked down at Alice and smiled fondly. She was snuggled back against his chest as tight as she could be and her hair was wrapped around both of them.

Jasper unravelled her hair from around his arm and slowly made his way out of the bed without waking her. He ran his hand through his hair again and yawned as he stretched his back. He looked down at Alice again and grinned.

"Damn she's turning into quite the little minx," he thought as he tucked the blanket around her back. He laughed and turned toward Ali's laptop where it lay open on her desk. He took in the screen and saw that she had a new message from MaryBrandon001.

"I wonder who that is?" Jasper puzzled, racking his brain for any memory of hearing that name before. He knew all of Alice's friends, and he was pretty sure he had never heard her talk about a Mary. He shrugged and went to the bathroom. When he came back, he leaned over Alice and tickled her nose with a length of her silky hair.

A chuckle escaped him as Alice scrunched up her nose and made to smack at whatever was tickling her nose. He moved the hair and waited. She settled back down and he tickled her nose again.

"Whas tha?" Alice mumbled, swiping her hand across her nose. Jasper chuckled again, and suddenly, he was looking into beautiful, bright, blueberry eyes.

"Hello, Darlin'." He greeted her. "Did you sleep well?" He gave her his heart-stopping grin and Alice grinned back. Suddenly, her grin disappeared and a deep blush covered her cheeks. She looked away as she obviously remembered what happened between them.

"Hey! Hey..." He said, putting his hand under her chin to force her to look back at him. "What's this? The feisty Miss Alice Cullen is going to blush after nagging her boyfriend, for weeks, to let her ravage him, and then doing just that?" He smirked at her and she blushed deeper and a little grin settled on her lips.

She looked away again and said in a small voice, "Was I... okay?" Her face was beet red and she was biting her lip.

Jasper rolled his eyes toward the ceiling and tried to control his laughter. God! She was so frickin' adorable. He smirked as he looked back down at her.

"Darlin', you were perfect." He growled at her playfully, leaning over to nuzzle her neck, tickling her.

Alice giggled and tried to get away from him, but he held her fast and kept tickling her. Finally, he stopped and gazed down at her happy face. He couldn't even explain to himself how much he loved her, he didn't know if he could ever explain it to her.

"I love you so much, Ali." He told her, his face serious.

She smiled up at him and giggled again. "I love you, too, Jas. Forever and ever." She wrapped her arms around his neck and he squeezed her back. He started nuzzling her neck again, this time slowly and with his lips, his hands roaming her sides.

She pushed his hands away. "Jas-per... I'm hungry and I... have to go to the... bathroom. Get off." She pushed at his shoulders and he let her push him off of her. She laughed as she saw his pout and sat up. "I really have to, Jas." She heard his stomach growl and started giggling again. "And we both need to eat."

He laughed and pulled her up off the bed. "Come on, then. Use the bathroom and we'll get something to eat." He smirked at her as they walked toward the door. "My girlfriend invited me over for lunch, but she tricked me and took advantage of me, instead. She didn't even feed me first." He stuck his lip out again and she stood on her tip-toes and kissed him.

"Poor Jazzy! What a mean girlfriend you have." Her blueberry eyes sparkled in her sweet face and his heart did a little flip.

"You'll feed me though, won't you?" He pouted, giving her his puppy-dog eyes. She nodded, laughing as she skipped over to the bathroom and waved as she closed the door.

Jasper stood there wondering what the hell had happened. He was pleased, but he felt so guilty. He ran his hand through his hair and wondered if Edward and Bella, or Jessica and Brent, did anything like what they had done today. How in the world was he ever going to stop himself from making love to Ali if she kept pulling stuff like she did today? He hadn't even tried that hard to resist her.

Jasper gnawed on his lip and put his hand on the back of his neck. He thought about how his finger had hurt Ali enough to actually make her tear up. He knew that thought alone was enough to keep him from going any further with her. Would they ever be able to do anything more? When she was old enough, would he still be too big for her? She was so small...

All these questions went through his head and he knew that he would love Alice always, even if he was never able to actually make love to her.

He looked up, as Alice opened the bathroom door. She grinned when she saw him.

"Hi, handsome. Waiting for me?" she flirted.

"Well, I guess so." He teased. "There was this temptress in this awesome pink dress here earlier, but she's gone now, so I guess you'll do."

Alice smacked Jasper's chest and he groaned and put his hand where she'd hit him.

"Ow! You don't have to abuse me." He whined with mock pain. Alice laughed and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, ya' goofball." She said, hauling him down the stairs. He grinned behind her the whole way down and she shook her head at him and rolled her eyes. "At least he's in a good mood." She thought.

When they got to the kitchen, she pushed him down into one of the chairs. "Wait here and I'll get you something to eat." She told him, walking toward the refrigerator.

Jasper rolled his eyes and Alice heard him mutter something sounding like, 'bossy', and she giggled. She stuck her head in the fridge and started pulling things out. She set everything on the counter and went over for some plates, glasses and forks.

Taking the dishes to the table, she paused as Jasper asked her, "Can I help, Ali?"

She nodded at him. "Thank you, Jas." She said, leading him back over to the counter.

"Anytime, Sugar." He said as he took the bowls she gave him and put them on the table. Soon they had everything on the table and Alice filled their glasses with Iced Tea. She filled their plates with fresh crab salad and fruit, and handed Jasper some club crackers.

"Is this all right, Jas?" she asked him, hopefully. She looked up into his twinkling green eyes and he smiled lovingly at her.

"This is wonderful, Ali." He told her as he cupped her face in his hand. "You are so sweet. Thank you for making me such a nice lunch."

She smiled in pleasure and sat next to him at the table. They ate their lunch and talked and flirted, and Alice knew that she had never felt so happy.

"Carlisle, I am not happy about this at all." Esme said as she and her husband came in the front door of their home. "How can they make a decision like that without at least letting the parents have some kind of say?"

"Well, My Love, I don't think they can. That's why they are holding a Board meeting tomorrow night." Carlisle said, trying to calm his angry wife down as they walked into the kitchen.

"Well, you better believe that I have a lot to say about this. They should've called the meeting before they made any plans." Esme huffed as she set her purse down on the table with a thump. "We have been here long before any of the Board members. They could've sent out a newsletter, or something, informing us of their dilemma and possible solutions."

Carlisle rolled his eyes. Esme was easy-going most of the time, but don't make her angry, especially if it involved her kids. He grinned at Alice and Jasper as they sat at the kitchen table watching them.

"Hey kids! How was your day?" Carlisle said before glancing at his wife again.

Jasper looked at Alice and saw her blush deeply. "Uh... it was great." Jasper answered, quickly looking back at Carlisle. "How was yours?" He hoped that Carlisle hadn't noticed Alice's blush and looked around desperately for something to distract him.

"Carlisle! Don't try to pacify me!" Esme told him angrily. "I am really upset about this."

Carlisle rubbed her shoulders and frowned. "I know you are, Essie. Please try and relax. You are just going to give yourself a headache. We'll figure it out at the meeting tomorrow night."

Esme took a deep breath. "I suppose you're right." She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Mom? Are you all right?" Alice asked, worry creasing her brow.

Esme noticed Alice and Jasper at the table. "Sorry, kids. I'm fine." She told them with a smile. "We heard about the School Board combining the schools at the charity event today and I am upset."

"Oh." Alice said softly. "Is that bad, Mom?" Worry clouded the bright blue of her eyes. "That they want to combine the schools, I mean?"

Esme looked at Carlisle and he looked over at Alice. "It's not bad, really, more like they didn't consult any of the parents or hold any public meetings until after they had made their decision." He said thoughtfully. "We feel that they should've at least let the parents in on the problem, and possible solutions."

"I see." Alice commented, but sounded confused. "Would it be bad, though? I'd still be able to go to school with Edward and Jas."

"We just want more information, Alice." Esme said. "It's not right for the Board to make this decision without allowing input from the parents. We have been a part of this community all our lives and, suddenly, they are allowing outsiders to make major decisions for us. Your dad and I grew up here and have always been involved in the Board. Now, all of the sudden, no one is allowed except the elected members? Something isn't right."

"Esme..." Carlisle warned. "Please calm down. You don't know that for sure. You're going off of what Diane Richards heard. That isn't fact. You know that."

"You're right." Esme sighed, defeated. "I'll try to wait until the meeting and see what's going on." She agreed. She smiled at the kids. "I'm going upstairs for a nice, relaxing bath. I'll see you kids later." She turned and left the kitchen.

Carlisle went over to the table. "I don't want you worrying, Ali, all right? We don't have enough information to know for sure what's going on yet." He told her with a reassuring smile.

Alice looked at him with questions in her eyes. "But, Dad, why would I worry? It wouldn't be any different than last year, would it? I'd just be at a different school, right?"

Jasper looked from Alice to Carlisle. Something more was going on that Carlisle didn't want to tell her. "Ali, it would be different because you'd be going to school with a lot of older kids. Way older kids. Maybe your mom is worried that it won't be good for you."

Carlisle looked at him gratefully. "That is part of the problem, Jas. We just want more information before we send you back to school, Ali. We'll let you know everything after the meeting tomorrow. In the mean time, you and Jasper just continue what you've been doing. Okay?"

Ali put her head down and Jasper could see her cheeks turn a bright pink. He quickly put his arm around her. If they continued doing what they had been doing, Carlisle would kill him on the spot.

"It'll be all right, Ali. Your parents wouldn't let anything happen that would hurt you." Jasper filled in for her, trying to make it seem as though she was flushed because she was upset.

She looked up, her cheeks still pink. "I know, Jas." She gave him a grateful smile. She looked at her dad. "I'm fine now, Daddy. I won't worry about it."

He stroked her hair. "All right, Pumkin." He turned to the cupboard and got out a glass. "Well, I have some calls to make. Can I steal some of your Iced Tea before I go?" He grinned at Alice.

Alice giggled. "Of course, Daddy. Here." She poured him some tea and he nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

Jasper let out his breath. "That was close." He sputtered. "Ali, you can't... we can't... if they found out." He ran his hand through his hair a few times looking extremely worried.

Alice giggled and he looked down at her incredulously. "It's not funny, Alice." He gritted out. "Our dads would kill me if they found out, not to mention what Emmett would do to me." He looked down when he felt her tiny hand caress his cheek.

"Jas, no one is going to hurt you. I won't let them. I love you." She looked so determined that Jasper had to smile.

"Thank you, Ali." He said as he smiled down at her. "I love you, too."

Alice tried to stay calm as she sat between Edward and Jasper on the couch. They were watching a movie, but Alice couldn't concentrate. Jasper was rubbing her hand, trying to help her, but she was still tense.

"Ali, Darlin', you've gotta' try and relax." Jasper finally told her. "Your parents should be home soon."

"I know, Jasper. I _am_ trying." She scowled at him.

Edward looked at Jasper over her head. "Do you have any idea what else they were so worried about?" He asked Jasper for the fifth time. Jasper just shook his head and looked back down at Alice. Edward sighed. "Whatever it is, Ali, you know none of us will let anything hurt you. With our parents, us three boys and Rosalie, you'll be okay."

"Thank you, Edward." She smiled up at him. "I know everything will be okay. I just hate not knowing."

Edward and Jasper chuckled, and Alice had to grin. She was not the most patient person, especially with surprises.

The three of them turned at a noise outside and Emmett came barreling down the stairs. "They're home! They're home! Now we can find out the big secret." Rosalie sighed and shook her head as she followed regally behind him.

Carlisle and Jackson came through the door first. They were laughing, so all the kids let out a sigh of relief.

"I thought she was going to rip his head off and have one of us throw it on the grill for supper." Jackson stated, laughing uproariously.

"Naw, she wouldn't do that." Carlisle choked out. "Cuz then we'd have to fight over how to cook it and who'd do it better." Both men bent over in hysterics and the kids grinned at each other. Everything was going to be all right.

"He's lucky I didn't rip his head off!" Esme exclaimed as she and Lynnette came through the door. Carlisle and Jackson looked at each other and burst out laughing again. Both women looked at them in disgust.

"Do you think you two could cool it for a while now, please?" Lynnette asked them sternly, her hands on her hips. She looked over at Esme as the men tried to control themselves, and Esme rolled her eyes. Her eyes then flicked over to Alice who was now standing in the middle of the room looking at them expectantly. She nodded toward Alice and Esme looked over, as well.

"Hi, Honey!" Esme called to Alice. "I suppose you've been going crazy waiting for us, huh?"

Alice looked uncomfortable. "Kinda'." she admitted softly. Jasper and Edward exchanged a knowing look which the Dads didn't miss, and then they exchanged a knowing look. Alice was the worrier of the two families and worried enough for all the rest of the kids.

"Ali, everything is fine, Darlin'." Jackson told her. "No worries, ya' hear?"

She looked hopefully from the Dads to the Moms, her dark, blue eyes filled with hope.

Esme nodded. "Everything is fine, Ali. Let's sit down and we'll explain it to you now that we have the facts."

They decided to go out onto the patio to talk, so all nine of them got comfortable and looked at Esme expectantly. She cleared her throat.

"Well, everything isn't perfect," she began. At Alice's startled look, she put up her hand. "But it's not as bad as we thought." Alice relaxed and Jasper, who was sitting next to her on the lounge chair, put his arm around her.

"The schools are to be combined, as we were told, but the younger kids will be separated from the older kids. Seventh and Eighth graders, as well as the Freshmen, will all be on one side of the building. The Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors, will all be on the other side. There will be some interaction, like lunch periods, but classes will all be divided." She turned to look at Alice. "Advanced classes will be just like at the Middle School, you will have them with the Freshmen and Eighth graders, but none of you will have classes with the upper grades." Then she looked at Edward and Jasper. "Well, you two may have some advanced classes with the Sophomores, but no one older."

She sighed and looked over at Alice again. "Here is the part I was mostly upset about. They are trying to balance out the classes, Ali. They wanted to promote you as a Freshman because of your grades, but your dad and I refused. You're just too young to be a Freshman. But, if it is all right with you, they would like to promote you to Eighth grade. Dad and I thought that should be up to you."

Alice looked lost and scared as she sat on the chair with Jasper, all eyes on her. "I... I... don't know..." She stuttered and looked at her dad. "Do I have to decide right now?"

"No, Baby." Carlisle told her, coming over to hug her. He set her away from him but kept his hands on her arms. "You don't have to decide anything tonight."

He led her back to his seat and cradled her on his lap. She snuggled into his chest and sighed. "Good, cuz I don't know what I want to do." She told him after she was settled. "I will still be with my friends, right?" She looked up and Carlisle nodded. "The only real difference would be that I would graduate one year early?"

"As far as your mom and I could tell, that is the only difference. You already have the best scores in your class, and out of most of the Eighth graders, too. But we don't want to force you to grow up faster than you already are, so the decision is yours."

Alice cast a glance at Jasper who had a frown on his face and was staring down at the cement patio. She knew he felt guilty for corrupting her innocence, he felt he was making her grow up faster than she should, but she wanted him as much as he wanted her, so there was nothing for him to feel guilty about that she could see. He felt her eyes on him and looked up. He gave her a sad smile and looked back down.

"I'll do it." She said. Everyone looked at her. "I'll go into Eighth grade. That means I can go to college one year sooner. Why not?" She looked over at Jasper again and she smiled at him. He gave her a half-hearted smile, but his eyes looked worried.

"You're sure, Ali?" Her mom asked. "Maybe you better think about it some more. Your dad and I only want what's best for you, but we feel this is a decision that you have to make."

Alice nodded her head against her dad's chest. "The only thing I'll miss is that I won't graduate with Brent and Jessica. I'll have Bella in my class, though, and the boys will be away at college whether I'm a Junior or a Senior, either way." She looked around. "What do you think, Ms. Lynnie?" She asked Lynnette.

Lynnette looked at Esme, who smiled encouragingly at her. "Well, Ali, if it were me, I'd go for it. The sooner you get out of high school, the sooner you can start training for what you really want to do." She smiled affectionately at the girl she considered her second daughter. "I think you'd do well, Ali. I have every faith in you."

Alice smiled at her. "Thank you, Ms. Lynnie." She looked over at Jackson who grinned at her and nodded.

"Mr. Jax?" She grinned back.

"I figured I'd be next." He laughed. "I say go for it, too. You're an awesome kid, Ali. I think this is an advantage for you. I really do."

"Thank you, Mr. Jax." She looked up at her dad. He grinned at her and she then looked over at her mom.

"Mommy? What would you do?" She asked Esme.

"If it were my decision, Ali, I would do it, also." She told her. "A year isn't a big loss or gain, either way, but I do agree that it can be an advantage, especially when you apply to college." Esme let out a sad sigh. "As your mom, though, I want to say don't do it, cuz that is one less year I'll have with you." Her eyes shown with tears and Alice got off her dad's lap and threw herself at her mom.

"I love you, Mommy! I will always be your little girl." Alice cried as she hugged her mom tightly.

Esme hugged her back and then stroked her hair. "I know you will, Love. I know you will."

The next afternoon, the Cullens and Hales threw a Barbecue/Swim party as a last hurrah to summer. The kids called Jessica, Brent and Bella, and asked them to come over, and to invite their parents. Jackson declared it was his turn to cook since Carlisle had done it last time, and Carlisle argued that his grill was better. The women rolled their eyes, and continued with the preparations. Alice and Jasper strung chinese lanterns around the Hales' patio and wiped off the furniture. Edward and Emmett cleaned the pool and Rosalie helped get the food ready and, when everyone started to arrive, she also answered the door.

Charlie and Renee Swan brought some pies for dessert and Brian and Lori Michaels brought a cheese and cracker tray, and a veggie tray. Jessica said her mom and dad couldn't make it, but Esme and Lynnette were convinced that her mom was too embarrassed because Lauren was so mean to Ali.

"I'm actually glad they aren't coming." Lynnette admitted. "I've never liked that woman."

Esme agreed and they giggled together as they finished preparing the pasta salad and baked beans.

After the lanterns were hung and all of the furniture wiped down, Jasper and Alice went into the Cullens' garage to look for the floating basketball hoop for the pool.

"Ali?" Jasper began tentatively once they were alone. "Are you sure it's a good idea to skip Seventh grade?" He asked her. "I mean, I know you're smart enough, but what about being with all of those older kids? Aren't you worried about Lauren and other kids teasing you?"

"Jasper, I would have to put up with Lauren whether I was in Seventh grade or Eighth." Alice told him. "As for being small, there's nothing I can do about it, so I'm not going to give up an opportunity because some kids might tease me about it." She walked over to him and gave him a coy little grin. "Besides," she said, stretching to put her hands around his neck so he'd lean forward. "I have you to protect me, right?"

She looked at Jasper's worried emerald eyes. "Jas? Are you worried about something else?" He put his arms around her waist as he leaned toward her.

"Well," he started. "I... I don't know, Ali... I just... I just don't like it." He finally spit out.

She raised a brow at him in question. "Why not? What's bothering you, Jas?" She pulled him back to her as he tried to look away. "Please tell me." She looked deep into his eyes. "Jasper. Tell me."

"I worry..." He said. She nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Well, I worry that you'll... I don't know... " She nodded again. "All right! I worry that you'll decide you like one of the other guys instead. You know, like Matt, or one of the others."

Alice giggled at his expression. He was so gorgeous, but when he pouted and scowled, he reminded her of a spoiled little boy.

Jasper took his arms from around her waist and walked away. Alice went after him and caught his arm. "I'm not laughing at you!" At his look of disbelief, she insisted. "I'm not! I swear!" He let her turn him back to face her. "I'm laughing at how cute you look. I have loved you for as long as I can remember, Jas."

"That's different, Alice, and you know it." He complained grumpily.

"No! I mean, really loved you." Alice declared. "I remember watching you play Xbox with Edward, and I'd be so mad because you wouldn't spend time with me. I'd think to myself that Edward would be sorry some day, because you'd be my boyfriend and I wouldn't let you spend any time with him then." Alice laughed. "I loved the fact that he'd be sorry he'd hogged all of your attention then."

Jasper shook his head. "That is still not the same, Ali." Jasper maintained. "You were a little girl and you're still new to relationships. I'm scared of losing you. Every day I think about some guy sweeping you off your feet and taking you away from me." He shook his head again and ran his hand over his face. "I couldn't stand it, Ali, I couldn't. I think it would kill me."

"Jasper." Alice purred. "Come here." She tugged him to her and snuggled against his chest. He resisted her, but then enfolded her in his arms finally. She smiled in satisfaction and looked up into his beautiful eyes. "I love you." She pulled his head down so she could kiss him and he let her touch her lips lightly to his.

"Jas..." She whined when he wouldn't let her deepen the kiss.

"No, Ali." Jasper pulled away, frowning. "I'm not going to let you distract me. I want to talk about this."

"I don't know what to tell you, Jasper." Alice snapped at him. "Am I supposed to promise not to leave you for someone else and then sign it in blood, or something?" She was getting angry and really wanted to hit him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Alice. I'm worried about something, and I just want to talk about it with you." He said, condescendingly. Alice bristled at his tone. It was the one he always used when he was trying to force her into doing what he wanted.

"Fine." Alice said, crossing her arms and sitting down on the chest they stored their patio furniture cushions in. "Talk."

"Well, not if you're going to use that tone, I'm not." Jasper spit out, glaring down at her.

"Well, I'll tell you, Jasper Hale. When you talk to me like that, dating Matt Davidson looks better and better." Alice threw back at him.

Jasper stiffened and his glare turned menacing. He grabbed her by her upper arms and hauled her against him. "I don't want you to even kid around about Matt Davidson, Alice. I mean it." He growled, his eyes scary dark in the dim light of the garage.

Alice's eyes were huge in her face. He hadn't acted like this in a long time and she had forgotten how intimidating he could be. He had her pulled up on her tiptoes, his nose almost touching hers, and her heart was racing with fear. She didn't know this side of Jasper. This creature with the terrifying eyes and cruel hands, wasn't part of the sweet, caring person she knew and loved.

"Jasper!" she gasped, trying to loosen his hold on her. "Please... you're hurting me." Tears sprang to her eyes and she tried again to pull away from him.

"You're mine, Ali, and I'll kill Matt if he ever lays one finger on you." Jasper promised menacingly. He smashed his mouth down on hers and Alice whimpered as her teeth cut into her lip. Jasper continued to assault her lips as he lowered her to lay on the chest at his feet. He went down next to her on his knees and pulled his lips away. "Look at me, Alice." He commanded, hovering over her. She opened her eyes, the fear shining in them, and he continued. "This is the only face you'll ever see making love to you. No other face better ever be above you like this. I won't tolerate it. Ever." He stood up and stalked out of the garage, slamming the door as he went.

Alice lay dazed on the storage trunk, her lips throbbing from punishment, her chest hurting with the frantic beat of her heart, her throat aching with unshed tears and her arms burning from angry fingers. She didn't know what had happened to make Jasper morph into the monster he had become, but she knew it was wrong for him to treat her that way.

After what seemed like hours, but could only be about ten minutes, Alice dragged herself up off the trunk and made her way into the house. Practically crawling up the stairs, she closed her door, turned the lock and shoved her desk chair under the knob for extra insurance. She staggered across the room feeling as though she were drugged and fell onto her bed. The minute her face hit the pillow, wrenching sobs wracked her small body. Just two days ago, she had lain on this very bed with the sweetest, most loving person she knew, and had shared her heart and body with him. Today, he had turned into a cold, cruel stranger and she didn't even know why.

After all the bitter tears were gone, Alice succumbed to the peace of sleep. She seemed to always feel so exhausted after an upset and slept the sleep of the dead.

"Alice! Alice! Are you in there?" Alice groaned as she surfaced from a deep sleep. She heard someone pounding and yelling at her door.

"Yes! Yes, I'm here." She called, her speech slurred from sleep.

"Alice, it's Edward. What happened to you? We thought you went to get your bathing suit on and you never came back."

"I... I... have a headache. Sorry." She told him, moving clumsily toward the door. She took the chair out from under the knob and undid the lock. Before she could even turn the knob though, Edward had the door ajar. Alice stumbled back and Edward came into her room.

"Is Jas in here?" He demanded, looking around.

"No... why would he be?" Alice asked, confused.

"He's missing, too." Edward said as he looked in the closet. Turning back toward Alice, he gasped and his eyes widened. "What the hell, Alice?" He was staring at her arm and Alice looked down to see four black finger-shaped bruises on her arm. She knew if she looked under her arm, she'd find another.

"I... I don't... know..." She stammered, raising fearful eyes up to meet Edward's.

"God damn him!" Edward bit out. "When did this happen?" He demanded.

"Umm... earlier... we got into an argument... I... um... well, said something I shouldn't have and... well, he got really mad..." Alice stuttered as she watched Edward's eyes darken menacingly. A shiver of fear raced through her and she shrank back from him. This seemed to infuriate him even more and he went roaring out of her room and down the stairs.

Alice plopped down on her bed and put her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. "How could such a wonderful day go so bad?" She asked herself, rocking back and forth, trying to calm herself.

Alice still sat on her bed, her legs pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, her cheek resting on her knees and her tiny form rocking back and forth, back and forth. She didn't know how long she sat this way, but, when she heard someone on the stairs, she knew it couldn't have been that long.

"There you are, Alice." Jasper gasped as he tried to catch his breath. "We've been looking everywhere for you." He bent over, his hands on his knees and he looked at her rocking on her bed. He straightened up and, still breathing hard, walked over to the bed. "Ali? You all right?" She didn't look up or make any indication that she knew he was there. She just kept rocking.

"Ali, I'm so sorry about earlier. Please talk to me." She didn't change her movement. She just kept rocking.

"Come on, Ali. At least yell at me." He told her. "I know I deserve it. I had no right grabbing you like that. It's just... the idea of... Matt Davidson... and you... ugh! It just makes my blood boil." He clenched his fists and then dropped his hands to his sides. He looked at her again and bent around her to see her face. Her eyes were open and staring, but it was like she wasn't seeing anything.

"Alice! You're scaring me." Jasper exclaimed. He swore softly as he caught the sight of her arms. "Oh my God! Ali! I'm so sorry!" He tried to lift her arm so he could see the bruises better, but they were locked around her legs and he couldn't get them loose.

"Alice Cullen! You wake up and look at me!" He hollered, like he'd seen her dad do when she had one of her bad nightmares. Usually, he was the only one who could snap her out of it, but she didn't budge.

Jasper heard someone coming up the stairs. He turned to the door just as Edward burst through.

"There you are, you son-of-a-bitch!" He yelled before launching himself at Jasper. The two boys hit the floor and Edward punched Jasper in the jaw. Jasper tried to hold him off, but didn't try to hit him back. He knew that Edward was just defending his sister.

"Edward! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt her! I swear!" Jasper tried to convince Edward as he continued to pummel him.

Just then, Carlisle and Jackson flew through the door.

Pulling the boys apart, Jackson growled, "What in tarnation is going on here? You boys gone loco?"

Edward just glared, and Jasper looked sheepish. "Well, are one of you gonna' answer me?" Jackson asked, his voice low, but firm.

Carlisle glanced toward Alice on the bed. He turned worried eyes to Jackson and let go of Edward to approach the bed.

"Ali? You okay, sweetheart?" Carlisle asked her gently. She didn't answer, she just continued to rock. An eerie feeling shot up Carlisle's spine. "Alice!" He called almost frantically, and sighed in relief when he saw her body jump.

Alice straightened and looked around, blinking. "Daddy?" She said, as though she wasn't aware that any of them were even there.

"I'm here, Pumkin." He said as he bent in front of her. Her eyes shone with relief as she threw herself at him. He caught her in his arms and pulled her against his chest. He turned frightened eyes to Jackson.

Jackson had a puzzled expression on his face as he looked at Carlisle with Alice in his arms. He looked at Jasper who he still held by the arm though he was as tall as he was. "You know anything about this, Jas?" He asked his son.

Jasper nodded, looking ashamed. "Yeah... it was me. I got mad... she said... well, it doesn't matter. I had no right." He shook his head and looked up at his dad, tears in his eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I wouldn't for the world. Not on purpose." He broke off as his voice failed him and his dad nodded.

"I know, son." He looked over at Carlisle again, worry in both their eyes. Then his eyes drifted down to Alice. When he spotted the bruises on her arms, his eyes widened in shock, and then narrowed in anger.

"Jasper Logan Hale. Are those your... fingerprints... on that darlin' child's... arms?" He gritted out, trying hard to control himself from doing bodily harm to his son.

Jasper swallowed and nodded, his eyes filled with tears. "Yes, sir." He whispered.

Jackson turned away from Jasper and pointed toward the door. "Just go. I don't want to see you until I come looking for you."

Jasper sighed dejectedly. "Yes, sir." And started toward the door. He hesitated and spoke softly. "I am sorry, Ali. I'd never want to hurt you." He started again for the door, a soft, sad voice halting him.

"I know, Jas." Alice whispered. "I know."

"Carlisle, I don't want it to be, Lord knows I don't, but it makes sense." Jackson insisted, leaning against Carlisle's desk..

Carlisle shook his head. "It can't be, Jax. It just can't."

Jackson went over to his life-long best friend and patted him on the back. "If it is, Carlisle, at least there are a lot of treatments for it. I'm sure her therapist can find one that works for her. She can have a perfectly normal life."

"I know, Jax, I just... my little girl, ya' know?" At the nodding of Jackson's head, Carlisle said, "Our little girl. It just can't be."

"Well, before you get yourself all worked up, we need to see if Dr. Roush will evaluate her. Or, we can ask Dr. Carrington, if he's available. Either way, then we'll know for sure." Jackson tried to calm Carlisle with the truth.

"I don't want to know for sure, Jax. I don't want to know anything but that my little blueberry-eyed Pumkin is all right." Carlise cried to Jackson, tears trickling down his face.

Jackson hugged Carlisle to him, they were like brothers and he was sharing in Carlisle's pain. "I know, Carlisle. And she is all right. It could be something a hell of a lot worse, Man. Just be happy that's all it is."


	61. Discipline and Diagnosis

61.

Discipline and Diagnosis

"Carlisle, it could be a lot worse." Jackson tried to reassure him. "You know Kyle Roush will do a thorough evaluation. If he's not available, Isaac Carrington would fly in, no questions asked. We'll get to the bottom of this once and for all. It's better to take care of it now than to have Ali suffer any longer."

"I know you're right, Jax." Agreed Carlisle. "It just breaks my heart that she has to go through anything more. We've all tried so hard to shelter her, and I don't think we've done her any favors."

"Well, maybe not, but she's a good girl and she'll be all right." Jackson insisted. "She's a lot stronger than you think, Carlisle. She's been fighting from day one. We'll see her through, it'll be fine."

Carlisle hugged him again. "Thanks, Jax. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Jackson grinned and held Carlisle at arm's length. "I don't know, either, but let's hope you never have to find out."

Carlisle grinned and they both chuckled as they started out of the room to return to their guests. Suddenly, Jackson stopped and turned to his friend again. "I still have to deal with Jas. Do you wanna' come with, or should I deal with him alone?"

After a few seconds, deep in thought, Carlisle made a suggestion, and Jackson nodded and made his way over to his house and his abusive son. Entering his front door, he walked down the hallway and heard Jasper sniffling as he approached his room. He paused in the doorway to see his son wipe his eyes with his hand and steeled himself for the upcoming drama.

"So, you enjoy manhandling little girls, now, huh?" Jackson asked as he walked into the room.

Jasper's head whipped around and he shook it as he answered. "No! I didn't mean to hurt her, dad. I swear! I didn't realize I grabbed her so hard."

"Why did you grab her at all, Jasper?" Jackson demanded. "What could Alice possibly have done to cause you to treat her that way." Jackson looked disappointed as he shook his head. "I never in a million years expected to have this talk with you, Jas. What is going on with you, boy? You've always been the level-headed, gentlemanly type. Now, you're abusing girls? I just don't even know what to make of it."

Jasper put his head down and looked so ashamed that Jackson's heart ached for him. He couldn't show weakness though, he would not tolerate his son roughing up anyone, let alone a girl half his size.

"So, Jasper, are ya' gonna' explain to me what happened before or after I open up a can of whoop ass on ya'?" Jackson inquired, arms crossed over his chest.

"Before, please." Jasper answered, his head still down, a tear running off his chin.

"All right, go ahead then." Jackson allowed, pulling Jasper's desk chair over and straddling it, facing his son.

"Well," Jasper started with a deep breath. "when Ali and I discovered that we... cared about each other as more than... friends, I started feeling really possessive of her." Jasper looked up at his dad, his eyes begging him to understand. "I don't know why, but I felt... jealous when other guys talked to her... or even looked at her. I tried to ignore it, but, I'd see these guys checking her out, and I'd get really... angry." Jasper admitted. "Then, Matt Davidson was hitting on her when we went to the State Championship with Emmett. She liked the attention... a lot, and I started to realize that I might not be... good enough for her." Jasper choked out, wiping his cheeks again. He looked up at his dad. "What if... she decided she... loved someone else, dad? What would I do? I don't know if I could... deal with that." Jasper cleared his throat and sniffed. "I... I've tried to... make sure she really... loves me. That she wouldn't want to... be with someone else, but..well, she's so young... I don't know." He put his head in his hands and let out a little moan.

Jackson was stunned at Jasper's confession. He knew he and Alice were going together, but he didn't realize how serious they were. His anger melted away, replaced by a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed a couple times before he asked the question he dreaded. "Jas, I need you to tell me the truth." Jasper looked up. "I'm not going to get angry... or yell... I just need to know." He swallowed again and looked at Jasper, an almost pleading expression on his face. "Have you... have you had... sex with Alice, Jasper?"

Jasper's cheeks flushed with color and he shook his head. "No. I haven't... but... I love her and I told her I want to marry her. Do you think... well, she's so small... would she be able to...?" Jasper scratched his head looking embarrassed, and Jackson sighed in relief.

"Yes, Jas. Alice will be able to... make love with her husband. She is small, but women can... accommodate a baby, so she will be fine." Jackson swallowed in relief that Jasper and Alice had not been intimate. He never would have thought about it if Jasper hadn't mentioned making sure that Alice wouldn't want to be with anyone else. They were so young and had grown up together, he never even considered that there might be anything sexual going on. His concern had been centered around Rose and Emmett, it had never even occurred to him to think that Jasper and Alice could be sexually active.

"Now," Jackson cleared his throat. "back to the business at hand." Jasper looked back up at his dad, his lashes wet and his face streaked with drying tears. He looked so heart-broken and ashamed, that Jackson felt himself softening toward him. Clearing his throat again, he steeled himself for what had to be done. "What possessed you to think it was okay for you to put your hands on Alice like that? I've never known you to hurt anyone before, Jas, especially Alice."

Jasper ducked his head. "I don't... think it's... okay. I... didn't... plan to hurt her. I lost my... temper." Jasper's voice broke and he struggled to regain control.

"You lost your temper?" Jackson asked, trying to tamp down his own temper. "You do realize how much bigger you are than Alice, don't you? How much stronger?"

Jasper nodded. "Yes, sir." He rasped, feeling as though his throat was closing up.

"Do you think that I am a lot bigger than your mother? What if I treated her that way?" Jackson pressed. "Do you think Carlisle is a lot bigger than Esme?" At Jasper's nod, he continued. "What about Emmett? Rose is pretty tall, but he's still a lot bigger than her, isn't he? How would you feel if he hurt your sister?"

Jasper watched his dad, his heart breaking more with every word. He nodded, trying to keep the threatening tears from starting again. His dad had never made him feel as though tears were unmanly, but he was fifteen years old, for crying out loud.

Jackson looked toward the door, then turned back to Jasper. "Lynnie?" he called, his eyes never leaving his son.

Lynnette appeared in the doorway and Jasper groaned. His dad chewing his ass was bad, and he knew he deserved it, but his mom? He wasn't sure if he could handle her disappointment in him.

Lynnette glanced over at Jasper and her heart swelled. He looked so pitiful and she knew it would take every ounce of control she had not to gather him in her arms. She thought of the bruises on little Ali's arms and knew this had to be done. She walked over to Jackson, his eyes still on Jasper, and she stopped at his side.

Both of his parents just stood looking at him and he wondered what they were thinking. He sat up straight and watched them warily. Then his dad looked over at his mom and he scowled.

"Lynnette! I thought I told you to bring some paper with you." He growled at her. Lynnette looked up at him, surprise on her face.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Jack. I forgot all about it." Lynnette told him.

"That's not good enough, Lynnette." Jackson gritted out, obviously angry. "How can we make a list of rules for Jasper, if we don't have any paper to write it on?"

"Well, I said I was sorry." Lynnette said, irritation showing on her face.

"You're sorry? That's great." Jackson snapped. "Now go get me some!"

"Go get it yourself." Lynnette snapped back, hands on her hips.

Jackson grabbed her by her upper arms and hauled her over to him. He leaned over her, his nose almost touching hers, and threatened. "Do it now, Lynnette. My patience is gone."

Jasper stood up, alarmed. He'd never seen his parents like this with each other. His mom's face looked frightened and her eyes were wide as she tried to lean away from his enraged father.

"Dad!" Jasper called, taking a step forward. His parents looked toward him and they both relaxed.

Jackson looked back at Lynnette in concern. "You all right, Darlin'?" he asked her. She nodded, but her eyes filled with tears and he pulled her into his arms and stroked her back.

Then, Jasper realized that he'd just witnessed a scenario staged to show him how he, himself, had looked, treating Alice the same way. His mom's head was tucked under his dad's chin and he crooned to her as her shoulders shook, slightly. His dad looked over at him and his mom pulled out of his dad's arms to face him, also. She wiped her face and gazed sadly at her son.

"Jasper, I'm sorry we scared you, but we wanted you to see how serious this is." Lynnette told her only son. "Your dad has never laid an angry hand on me before, that was very upsetting for me, and I knew it wasn't real." She looked up at her husband lovingly and then back at her son. "Can you imagine how Alice felt? She is even smaller than me and you were genuinely angry. She must've been terrified, Jas."

Jasper sat back down on his bed and hung his head. He never once stopped to think how Alice must've felt when he grabbed her and yelled at her. All he knew was that he was furious and jealous and he'd wanted to hurt someone. He couldn't remember ever actually wanting to hurt anyone before, well, except for the guys that had flirted with Alice since they'd been going together.

Putting his head in his hands, he thought over all the times he had grabbed Alice, or yelled at her, or made her feel bad, all because his ego couldn't handle that he could be replaced. A noise at the door brought his head up, and all three Hales turned toward the door.

Carlisle and Esme stood there, Esme looking slightly nervous, and Jackson welcomed them into the room. He then turned back to Jasper.

"Would you like Carlisle and Esme to repeat the scene you just saw your mother and I do? Esme is even smaller than your mother, and Carlisle is nearly our height." He looked toward the door again and continued, gesturing with his hand at the door. "Or maybe Emmett and Rose should do it."

Jasper watched Emmett and Rose walk in, hand in hand. They looked at Jasper and he could've sworn that Rose looked madder than his dad. His eyes flew to Emmett. He knew his best friend would be mad at him, but the sad look on Emmett's face puzzled him. Before he could ponder it long though, his attention was drawn back to his dad.

"This is your family, Jasper. We all love you, but we will not tolerate anyone hurting another member of the family. Do you understand?"

They all looked expectantly at him as he glanced at all of their faces. "Yes, sir. I understand." He finally managed through the lump in his throat. Tears filled his eyes again and he blinked them back rapidly as his dad gestured toward the door. He watched as Alice timidly made her way into his room. She wouldn't look at him, and kept her eyes on the floor. He could clearly see the dark bruises on her arms and emotion almost overwhelmed him.

Alice stood next to her dad, her arms crossed over her stomach and her eyes down on the floor. She felt so ashamed that they were all making such a big deal out of Jasper leaving bruises on her. She had tried to tell them how it was all her fault for taunting him, but they wouldn't listen to her. She snuck a glance up at Jasper and her heart stopped in her chest. She drew in a large breath as it started beating again and she gazed at the handsome face she loved so dearly.

His eyes were filled with tears, his cheeks were flushed and tear-streaked, but the expression on his face was what had startled her so. He looked so defeated. She had never seen him like that before. She wanted to go to him, but she had no idea what their parents would say, and so she stayed where she was.

Jackson cleared his throat. "Jas, I would like you to come over by the mirror." Jasper stood up and walked over by the mirror. He figured that he knew where this was going, and he braced himself. He watched as Jackson looked at Alice.

"Ali?" His dad said softly. Alice looked at him, startled. "Sugar, would you go stand next to Jas in front of the mirror?"

Alice slowly walked over and stood a few feet away from Jasper, looking down at her feet. Jackson walked up behind them and, putting a hand on each of their shoulders, gently guided them closer to one another. "Ali, could you look into the mirror, now?" He asked.

Alice reluctantly looked up and her soft, dark blue eyes caught Jasper's brilliant green ones. He gave her a sad little smile and she looked away quickly.

"Now," Jackson began. "Do you see how small Alice is next to you, Jasper?" Jasper nodded, his eyes never leaving Alice's reflection. "Imagine how you would feel if someone as big as you left bruises like that on your arms. Ali cannot defend herself against you. It's as simple as that. Hell, she couldn't defend herself against any man, and most women, for that matter. She needs to feel safe, especially around the people she loves. She depends on us to keep her safe, Jasper."

Jackson stood behind the two young people in the mirror. "Will you both turn towards each other?" Jackson asked kindly. Alice's eyes flew up and met his in the mirror, then they shifted over to Jasper's. She looked worried but slowly turned toward Jasper. Jasper stood facing her, watching her intently. He wondered what was going through her mind.

"Now, Jas, put your hands on Ali's arms like you had them when you grabbed her." Jackson told him. Jasper spun and looked at his dad, shaking his head.

"No. No, dad. I won't." Jasper said with determination. Then, his face changed. "Please. Don't make me."

Jackson's first reaction was to force him, but then he thought about it and decided not to cause either of them any more trauma. "Ok, Jas. Come stand where I am, OK?" Jasper stood in his dad's spot and Jackson went over and stood in front of Ali. "Would you say that you and I are about the same size, Jas?" Jackson asked his son.

Jasper nodded. "Height wise, we are, but you're broader than I am."

"That's because you're still a teenager, Jas." Carlisle told him gently, walking up next to him. "Imagine yourself as an adult. You could end up bigger than your dad." Jasper nodded and looked away from Carlisle and back at his dad and Alice.

Alice looked worried and he felt his heart squeeze in his chest. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her safely to his chest. He realized with a pang that he could've if he hadn't been the one to hurt her in the first place.

"Jasper." His dad called Jasper's attention back to him. Jasper looked at his dad's hands clutching Ali's upper arms and he clenched his jaw. "See how you looked when you were hurting Alice, Jas? See how small she is?" Jasper nodded, swallowing the bile that had risen in his throat. Alice stood frozen, her eyes locked on Jackson's chest, a panicked look on her face.

"Ali?" Jackson called to her softly. Alice looked up into his familiar blue eyes. He was grinning at her. "It's all right, Darlin'. We're just showing Jas what not to do, okay?"

Alice smiled at him. "Okay, Mr. Jackson." She whispered, giving him a half-hearted smile.

Jackson took his hands off of Alice's arms and gave her a hug, then he looked at the people standing around him. "Does anyone have any suggestions that could help Jasper understand his responsibility to this family?" Jasper winced at his dad's words, but knew he deserved them.

Esme cleared her throat. "I know that they can always use help down at the women's shelter, Jax." She offered. "Helping women that have been abused by their husbands and boyfriends might help him see what a horrible crime this is." Jasper blanched at her words, never before realizing that what he had done was considered a crime.

"Excellent, Esme! Can you arrange for Jas to help out there once or twice a week?" Jackson approved.

Esme nodded. "Of course. I'll let you know tomorrow, Jax."

Jackson looked over at Emmett, whose face showed mixed emotions. "Emmett? Would you like to tell Jasper how you felt when you saw the bruises on your little sister's arms?"

Jasper watched Emmett's face. His expression changed from worried to angry to sad. His blue eyes looked over at the bruises on Alice's arms and then over at Jasper. "I wanted to kill you." Emmett muttered, looking down at his feet. He looked back over at Jasper, anguish apparent on his handsome face. "Why, Jas? Why would you do that to Ali?" His voice broke and he could barely finish his sentence. Rosalie put her hand on Emmett's arm and he looked over at her and covered her hand with his.

Jasper's throat closed up and tears flowed down his cheeks. His voice broke as he choked out, "I... I'm so... sorry. I never meant to... hurt anyone. I... I've only ever wanted to... h-help people." He looked over at Alice who had tears running down her pale face as well. He walked the few feet over to her.

"Ali?" He croaked out and swallowed. "Can you ever... forgive me. I.. am so... sorry. I won't ever... h-hurt you... a-again."

Alice sobbed as he said the last and threw herself at his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist. Jasper stood still, afraid to move while Alice sobbed against his shirt. He looked over at his dad and Jackson nodded at him. He looked back down at the top of Ali's head and wrapped her in his arms. He murmured soothingly against her hair and her sobs quieted.

Jackson cleared his throat against the tears he felt trying to take him over. He shifted his feet and looked over at Carlisle. Finally, he was able to drop the bombshell that he and Carlisle had talked about. "Uh... Jas? Ali?" They both looked over at Jackson who had been joined by Carlisle so that they were standing side by side.

Carlisle decided to give his life-long friend a break. "We... Jackson and I... have decided that you two may not see each other... " Jasper gasped and clasped Alice to him. Alice looked stricken and had gone deathly white. "… Let me finish, kids." Carlisle mollified them. "You may not see each other... _unless_ you are with someone else from the family or have gotten permission ahead of time from one of us parents." Jasper let out his breath and Alice relaxed against him. He looked down at her and noticed that her face was still very pale. He rubbed her back and she glanced up at him, but didn't smile. Her eyes were the deep, dark blueberry color he loved, but they looked troubled.

Carlisle cleared his throat and all eyes went back to him. "We know that we made that rule when we first found out that you two were... an item, and we never really enforced it, but now, it will be imposed. Let me clarify that being anywhere by yourselves, will not be allowed. Also, Alice, you will continue your weekly therapy, and Jasper, your parents, and Esme and I, have all agreed that it would benefit you to talk to a counselor yourself. We will be setting that up as soon as possible."

"Jasper, you will also be restricted to the house except when allowed out by one of us, and you will be doing jobs at the whim of any of us parents." Jackson added. "You will be allowed to play football and practice with the band, but that may change depending on your behavior and your grades, once school starts."

"Yes, sir." Jasper said, still rubbing Alice's back. She was relaxed against his chest, but had her arms around him in a death-grip. He wondered what had her hanging on to him so desperately. He watched his dad and Carlisle as they exchanged a look.

"Well," Jackson said. "I guess we're done here, for now. Do you have any questions, Jas?" Jasper shook his head, relief surging through him that he had actually gotten off so easily. He would never, ever give his family reason to doubt him again. He looked down as he felt Alice pull slightly away from him.

"All right, we have guests in the yard, so we should feed them, but afterward, I want you to come back up to your room, Jas." Jackson stated, looking to Lynnette for confirmation.

Jasper nodded. "Okay, dad." He said, watching his parents exchange. He felt Alice move restlessly in his arms and he looked down at her again. She was watching his parents, also, and chewing her lip as though contemplating something. Finally, she made a little squeaky noise and then cleared her throat. All eyes went to her as she swallowed nervously.

"I have a question." She finally blurted out. "Will I still be able to go to NoiZe concerts and Jas' football games?" Her parents and the Hales exchanged puzzled looks. "It's not fair," She hurriedly added. "if it's not allowed. I don't only go to see Jas, I go for my friends and myself, also."

She waited for the final word and was relieved when they agreed that she could continue doing all of the things she enjoyed. "Ali," Her dad told her. "You did nothing wrong. You are not being punished."

Jasper gave her a little squeeze and smiled down at her. He tried to give her a happy smile, but he failed miserably and she vowed that she would cheer him up before the day was done.

"Okay, I'm going down to start the grill, we have hungry guests and I doubt that Edward will be able to hold them off much longer." Jackson chuckled, and ushered Lynnette out of the room. Emmett and Rose followed, but Esme and Carlisle hung back for a second.

"Jasper, I want you to know that Esme and I don't think any less of you. We understand that having such a serious relationship at such a young age, can be very... challenging." Carlisle informed him. "I'm sorry that we didn't realize how serious you are about each other and try to help things not be so... arduous."

Esme added, "We know that you didn't mean to hurt Ali on purpose, Jasper, but we all have to work together to insure nothing like this happens again. We also have something else to discuss with the two of you." Esme and Carlisle passed a uncomfortable look between them before Esme continued. "Maybe you both better sit down." She suggested.

Jasper and Alice exchanged a frightened look before moving over to the bed and sitting down on the edge together. Jasper looked up at his second parents, trying to be responsible, but Alice kept her eyes on the floor, afraid of what was coming next.

Esme watched her with concern and let out a breathy sigh. "Your fathers feel that they may know what is causing Alice's nightmares and... trances." Alice's head came up and both kids looked at her with keen interest.

"We're not a hundred percent positive, but we're confident enough that we feel we can tell you what we think and what we want to do about it." Carlisle told them. He looked over at Esme and she nodded. He took a deep breath and turned back toward the kids. "Ali, we think you may be... schizophrenic." He let that sink in and then asked, "Do you have any idea what that is?"

Both kids shook their heads, then Jasper said. "I think it's some kind of... mental illness..."

Carlisle nodded and Alice went white as a sheet and swayed slightly. Jasper put his arm around her and Carlisle and Esme went to her. Carlisle knelt in front of her. "Ali, it's okay, sweetheart. Take a few deep breaths."

Alice did as she was told, but the room was spinning and she felt like she was going to throw up.

"Maybe this wasn't the best time to tell her, Carlisle. It's been a very... upsetting day for her already." Esme offered, watching Alice with concern. Alice shook her head, her hand on her stomach.

"It's... all right. I... just feel a little... sick." Alice mumbled, putting her head in her hands.

Jasper stood up and laid Alice back on his bed, stroking her face the entire time. Carlisle talked soothingly to his daughter from his place next to her on the floor.

"Alice, it'll be all right, Punkin. Once we know for certain, we'll know how to help you, baby." He told her. "Keep breathing deep and slow. That's it, Punkin."

The room finally stopped spinning and Alice opened her eyes. She looked at her dad on his knees next to her. "Daddy, what is the mental illness you think I have, again?"

"It's called Schizophrenia, Alice. Symptoms usually don't start to make themselves known until early adulthood, but it's not that unusual for them so show up at your age." Carlisle tried to ease her fears, noting with relief that her face was back to its normal color.

"What can be done about it, Mr. Carlisle?" Jasper asked sitting on the bed next to Alice.

"It can be treated with medication and therapy, Jas." Carlisle answered him. "I am going to call a couple of doctors that I know to evaluate Ali. I'm sure they'll want to do a few tests to rule out other possibilities, but there won't be anything painful, basically, you'll just have to lay there, Ali."

"Okay, Daddy. That doesn't sound too terrible." Alice said softly, looking up at Jasper. He looked down at her, his eyes full of worry. Alice reached out her hand and Jasper clasped it in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be all right, Ali. I promise that I'll help you any way I can." Jasper assured her. She smiled up at Jasper. She knew he hadn't meant to hurt her, and she really needed him.

"Thank you, Jas." Alice said in a breathy voice, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall again. She loved him so much, but she couldn't help wondering if he would still love her now that he knew there was something wrong with her. She knew enough to know that mental illness wasn't something you could manage by just taking a pill, and she was frightened by what waited for her in the future.


	62. Meetings and Moms

62.

Meetings and Moms

Alice sighed as she plopped down on her bed. Dinner had been a stressful event at best. Everyone had tried to act normally, but it was as though there was a pink elephant in the yard and no one wanted to admit that they saw it. By the time everyone was done eating, Alice's head was throbbing from the stress.

Alice felt tears come to her eyes as she thought about Jasper. He hadn't sat by her, or really talked to her at all during dinner. His parents had told him to go straight to his room afterward, and he did, with only the briefest of goodbyes, and she wondered if their relationship had just gotten to be too much for him. Not only did he feel ashamed and guilty for accidentally hurting her, but now he had to go to therapy, as well. On top of all of that, they found out that she was mentally abnormal. There was only so much a guy could be expected to take.

She angrily wiped at her eyes and shrugged off the sweater she had donned to cover the bruises on her arms. Getting up to get her laptop, she draped the sweater on the back of her desk chair and settled back on the bed. She decided to check her email first. It had been a few days since she'd checked it and she hoped there wasn't anything important.

Spotting an email from her real mom, Alice opened it with anticipation. She hadn't heard from Mary in a while and she was eager for the contact. Reading the email, Alice gasped from excitement.

_Hi Alice, _

_I hope everything is good with you. Things are OK with me._

_I am going to be in Lake Geneva in another week, and I wondered if we could meet?_

_If you can't get away, I understand, but I would really like to see you. _

_It would be so great to get to know each other a little better._

_Let me know if you can, and we'll figure out a place to meet._

_Mary_

Mary wanted to see her. She couldn't believe it, Mary actually wanted to meet her somewhere and try to get to know each other better.

Alice let out a little squeal and bounced on the bed in excitement. This was even better than she had hoped. She never expected Mary to actually want to spend any time with her.

Alice hugged herself in glee. She had a tough week ahead of her, but her reward would be seeing her real mom at the end of it. Hopefully, she would only have good news to share with her. She read the email again. She frowned when she came to, 'if you can't get away...'.

"Hmmmmmm..." Alice pondered that statement. She'd have to come up with a plan to get away to see Mary without anyone finding out.

"Okay, Alice. Hold you breath." The Xray technician told Alice as she lay on the table of the intimidating machine. She was having an MRI of her brain to rule out any tumors or abnormalities. Every time the machine took a picture, she had to hold her breath until the little red indicator light turned green again. It was becoming tedious and Alice was starting to feel a little claustrophobic in the confining space.

"Now breath." The tech reminded her as the red light turned green once more. Alice let out a relieved breath and shivered. She was freezing in the thin hospital gown and wondered how much longer she would have to lay here.

"Okay, young lady," the technician told her. "you are all done. Let me help you down and I'll take you back to the dressing room."

Alice came out of the dressing room to find her mom standing by the entrance to the waiting room. She gave her a small smile and Esme hugged her. Pulling back, Esme asked her how it went.

"It was all right. I mean, it didn't hurt, or anything, it was just kind of boring." Alice told her.

Esme laughed. "Well, that doesn't sound too bad." Alice shook her head and giggled along.

"We've got to go and meet your dad now, Ali." Esme added, sobering somewhat. "He's waiting for us in Dr. Roush's office."

"All right, Mom." Alice walked with her mom to where her dad waited for them.

Dr. Roush ushered them into his office. "Have a seat, ladies." He said, showing them to the comfortable chairs in front of his desk. Carlisle followed behind them and took a seat, also.

"Okay," Kyle Roush said, taking a seat behind his desk and looking through some papers there. He looked up at Esme and Alice. "I've already discussed this a little with Carlisle, but I wanted to make sure that you all heard the good news. The preliminary test results are perfectly normal. There is absolutely no sign of abnormality." Dr. Roush looked down at the papers again. "Of course, we have to have Dr. West, the radiologist, look them over, but I can safely say that she will not find anything out of the ordinary."

Kyle Roush came around the desk and perched on the edge of it in front of his friends and their daughter. "Now... we just have to figure out how to help Alice feel better. What do you think of that, Alice?"

Alice smiled. "That would be great. It would be nice to feel... normal."

Esme and Carlisle looked a little surprised, but then smiled fondly at Alice, happy that she was agreeable to helping her self for a change.

"Carlisle, I would still like to have Isaac look Alice's results over, if that is all right with you." Dr. Roush continued as Carlisle nodded. "I know you trust him and it's always good to have a second opinion, as you well know. He may have some suggestions, also. I'm looking for the quickest results here, what with school starting soon, and all."

Esme smiled as Carlisle agreed to his plan. "I have total faith in you, Kyle, but I value Isaac's opinion, as well, so I am totally comfortable with whatever you think is best." Carlisle also added, "Feel free to contact me or Esme, or Jackson for that matter, if you need any further information, or have any questions. One of us is always available."

They all stood as Dr. Roush brought their meeting to an end with a confirmation of Alice's next therapy appointment in two days. "Barbara Carter is an excellent therapist. I may also recommend having Alice see Ashley McMahon, but we'll talk about that after all of the test results are in. Alright?"

As everyone agreed, they made their way to the door and bade farewell to Dr. Roush.

"I haven't heard of Ashley McMahon, Carlisle. Is she new?" Esme asked her husband.

Carlisle nodded. "Dr. McMahon is the new Pediatric Psychologist. I hear she's fabulous and, she's a really fun person." Carlisle looked at Alice. "I think you'd really like her, Ali." He told his daughter, giving her a hug.

"Well, I'll meet you girls at home, then, all right?" Carlisle said as he walked his wife and daughter to the exit of the hospital. "I just need to check on a couple of patients before I head home."

"Alice, why have you never told us that you don't feel normal?" Esme asked her as they drove home.

Playing with her fingers, Alice looked down at her lap. "Ummmm... I don't know. I guess I didn't want you to worry." She told her mom softly.

"Don't you think that your dad and I worry about you anyway? We've known for a while that something was bothering you, but you always put us off. Even your therapist has trouble getting through to you." Esme said sadly. "You are my daughter, Alice. I love you more than my own life. I want you to know that you can always count on me. No matter what, honey, I am always there for you. Always."

Her eyes filled with tears, Alice looked over at her mom. "Thank you, Mommy. I love you, too. I will try to come to you more often. I promise."

They sat at a red light, so they gazed at each other for a minute, love reflected on both their faces, before the light turned green and Esme drove on home.

Laying on her bed, Alice thought about the conversation she and her mom had had in the car. Guilt flooded her as she remembered her meeting with Mary at the end of the week. She wanted so much to tell her mom about Mary, but she didn't want to upset her. She also didn't want her mom to prevent her from seeing Mary. It was a chance she just was not willing to take.

Keeping the secret to herself was harder than she thought it would be. She didn't feel that she could tell anyone. Even Jasper might not understand and try to stop her from seeing her real mom. She couldn't pass up seeing Mary. It was just something she would not give up.

Alice heard her phone buzz and got up to get it off her desk. It was a text from Jasper.

_Hi Alice. I miss u so much. I am so sorry for what I did. _

_How did your test go? I hope it didn't hurt._

_My mom said it was OK for you to come over to watch a movie with me. _

_If you want to, that is. Would you?_

_Love, Jasper xx_

Alice smiled. No matter what, she loved Jasper with all of her heart. She hadn't seen him since yesterday and she missed him.

_I would love to watch a movie with you. _

_My test went OK & I miss you, too._

_I'll ask my mom & be right over._

_Love, Ali xx _

Alice went down the stairs and found her mom in the kitchen. She was getting ready to make dinner as her dad was due home soon.

"Mom? Is it okay if I go over and watch a movie with Jas? Miss Lynne said it was alright." Alice asked.

Esme looked thoughtful for a minute. "Well, I want you to know that I am not happy that Jasper has been pushing you around, Alice. If I had known..." Her voice broke and she paused to gain her composure.

"Mom, Jasper is wonderful to me. He has only been that way with me a few times. He just can't help it." Alice tried to pacify her mom.

Esme gaped at Alice. She took hold of her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Alice. I know Jasper is a good person, but it is never okay for someone to treat you that way. Never. Not even if you make them angry. Do you understand that?"

Alice looked back at her blankly. She didn't understand why everyone was making such a big deal out of this.

Esme shook her head. "I shouldn't let you go over to see him, Alice. Not until you can truly understand why it's not okay for anyone to mistreat you."

"Mom! You can't do that!" Alice exclaimed desperately. "Please! I need to talk to Jasper. I need to see him."

"Alright, Alice, but I am going to call Lynnette to make sure that she will be there." Esme agreed, with one exception.

Alice sighed and rolled her eyes. "All right, Mom. Geeze..."

Alice sat at the table while her mom talked to Lynnette on the phone. "Okay, Lynne. Thanks. I'll talk to you later." Esme hung up the phone and turned to Alice. "Alright, Alice. Lynnette said that she'll be there and you can eat with her and Jas. Jackson and Rosalie won't be home until later."

Alice jumped up, her face lit up with a happy grin. "Thank you, Mom!" She squealed, hugged her mom and ran out the back door.

She was half way across the backyard on her way to the Hales, when she saw Jasper come out into the yard from his house. He had a big, welcoming grin on his face and Alice ran to him and launched her self at his chest. He caught her easily and hugged her to him. He buried his face in her loose hair and breathed her in.

"I missed you." He whispered, causing her to shiver. She pulled back and looked into his sparkling eyes.

"I missed you, too." Alice breathed, looking at his lips. His grin gave him away as he covered her lips with his. She sighed into his mouth, happy to be in his arms.

Jasper pulled away after a minute and Alice let out a little whine of disappointment. "Ali, come on." He set her down and took her hand with a gently squeeze. "Let's go watch the movie."

Alice grinned up at him with a giggle. "All right. I can't wait to see what you picked for us to watch." She skipped into the house beside him, happy for the first time since they'd been in the garage together.

"Okay, kids. Dinner's ready." Lynnette called from the kitchen. Jasper stopped the movie, stood up from the couch and helped Alice up by her hand.

"Let's go, Darlin'. You hungry?" Jasper hugged her to his side as he led her into the kitchen. Alice nodded, loving how safe he made her feel. She grinned in delight as he helped her into her chair and then helped his mom put the food out on the table.

Jasper helped his mom into her chair and then sat down and glanced at Alice. She was smiling happily at him and he chuckled. She had always loved his southern manners. Even though he'd been born and raised right here, his dad had carried on his dad's southern roots.

Lynnette had celebrated a rare dinner at home by making homemade Lasagna. She served them each a large piece as Jasper handed Alice the basket of warm french bread. They talked and laughed through the meal, and Alice was happy to spend time with both of them, and to escape from her house for a while. When they were done eating, Jasper insisted on cleaning up, so Lynnette dragged Alice out of the kitchen so they could have 'girl talk' in the living room.

"Are you excited about school, Ali?" Lynnette asked her, once they were seated on the couch.

"I am, but I'm nervous." Alice admitted. At Lynnette's questioning look, Alice continued. "Well, I'm not used to the school and I was looking forward to being at the Middle School for two more years, but it'll be so great to still be with Edward and Jasper, and I might even get to try out for the pom pon squad."

"The pom pon squad?" Lynnette asked, excitedly. "Ali, I didn't know you were interested in being a pom pon girl." She grinned happily. "I was a pom pon girl in high school, and I had so much fun. I just loved it!"

"Really? I didn't know that, Ms. Lynne." Alice chirped, her eyes alight. "Kristy Justen told me that I should try out if they put together a junior squad. Jasper doesn't want me to, but I think I might."

"Don't worry about Jas, Ali. You do what you want to do. Jasper will just have to deal with it." Lynnette told her. "Besides, the only reason he doesn't want you to, is because he doesn't want other guys looking at you."

Alice gasped. "How do you know that?" She asked.

Lynnette laughed. "Alice, my dear, all guys are alike. Once they choose you, they don't want any other guys looking at you. A girl in a cheerleader or pom pon uniform is eye candy, and boyfriends can't stand that."

"Was Mr. Jackson like that with you?" Alice wanted to know.

"Oh, yeah!" Lynnette told her with a laugh. "I was a cheerleader in college and Jack couldn't stand it. He hated the uniform, he hated the cheers, he even hated the guys on the squad, even though all but one was gay, and the other one was in a serious relationship." She giggled, remembering. "He gave me such a hard time about it, but I held my ground. It was something I wanted and I wasn't going to let him talk me out of it. We had our first fight over it." Lynnette shook her head, her eyes sparkling. "Eventually, he realized that I had my own life and he was either going to be a part of it, or he wasn't. He learned to ignore the other guys when they looked at me. I only had eyes for him anyway, so it didn't matter to me who was looking."

"You're so strong, Ms. Lynne." Alice admired her. "I wish I could be more like that." Alice hung her head. "I always seem to give in to everyone. I never do what I want." She looked back up at Lynnette, tears in her eyes. "It makes me so mad when I do that. I wish I knew why it's so hard for me."

"Well, Ali," Lynnette said, stroking her hair. "the first step is to learn to love yourself. You have to stick up for yourself, honey, and not let anyone push you around. If someone doesn't like that, then you don't want them in your life any way. If they love you, they will adjust."

"I sure hope so." Alice muttered, looking worried as she wiped the moisture from her eyes.

Jasper came bounding into the living room. "How are my two favorite girls doing?" He asked, plopping down on the couch next to Alice.

Lynnette laughed. "Jasper, you sound just like your dad."

Alice nodded and laughed, too. "You do, Jas!"

Jasper grinned, his dimple showing and his eyes twinkling. "Well, ya'all are my two favorite girls." He drawled, causing Ali and his mom to continue to giggle, and Jasper to roll his eyes.

Jasper was still in a great mood as he and Alice went out the front door. Lynnette had given him permission to walk Alice home, and he was going to make the most of it. They crossed the driveway and looked up as they heard yelling. Edward and Brent were running toward them enthusiastically.

"Jas! Jas!" Brent hollered as they tore across the grass. "We were just on our way over to see you!"

The two boys skidded to a stop in front of Jasper and Alice, practically dancing, they were so excited.

"Look!" Edward said, thrusting some paper in Jasper's face. "We made the paper!"

Jasper grabbed the paper from out of his face and focused on it. It was the local newspaper, and there was a picture of them performing at the Battle of the Bands last weekend.

"Oh my God!" Jasper gasped. "No way!"

"Read it. It's amazing, man!" Brent demanded as Jasper straightened out the paper so he could read the article.

_Milwaukee's County Fair held their annual Battle of the Bands this past weekend with surprising results. _

_First time competitors, local band, NoiZe, placed third, but that's not what had everyone talking. _

_What brought amazement to everyone's lips was the fact that the band consists solely of young teenagers._

_Lead vocalist and guitarist, fifteen year old, Jasper Hale, generates plenty of screaming with his movie star, blonde, good looks and smooth, sultry voice. _

_His bandmates, fifteen year old bronze-haired, keyboardist, Edward Cullen, and fourteen year old, drummer-with-a-killer-smile, Brent Michaels, cause many hearts to flutter, as well. _

_For the guys in the group, fifteen year old bassist, Bella Swan, gives off a rocker vibe with a side of punk and an angel's face._

_Not only is NoiZe great looking, they are guaranteed to get your foot to tapping. Their cover of popular songs is dead-on, but it's their original tunes that really impress. _

_Written by all three boys in the group, their originals are meaningful and modern, with a soulful flair. Don't let that description fool you, though. These kids rock!_

_All in all, I think it's safe to say that this band has a very bright future. After touring Wisconsin's county fairs all summer, they have already gotten a large and loyal following, _

_and I don't see talent like theirs going away any time soon._

_If you get the chance, check them out live, if not, you can follow them on their website; FeeltheNoiZe(.)com._

"Oh my God!" Jasper gasped, again, looking up at Edward and Brent. A huge grin broke out on his face and all three boys started chattering excitedly and jumping around. Alice watched them with annoyance. As usual, they didn't bother to tell her what was going on, except that they had made the paper. She wanted to read it, too, but Jasper still held onto it and was jumping around like an idiot.

Alice stamped her foot impatiently and stalked onward to her house. She looked back as she reached the front porch to discover that Jasper didn't even realize she was gone. Her shoulders slumped slightly, would she ever be included in anything, or would she always be expected to wait until he noticed her? She went into the house and up to her room. She decided to take a nice, hot shower and get to bed early. It had been a long day and she was really tired.

Alice heard the boys come in the front door, they were making so much noise. "Mom! Mom!" Edward called. "We made the paper." Edward yelled to their mom, and Ali rolled her eyes and got her bathrobe out of the closet. Suddenly, her door flew open.

"Ali! What the hell?" Jasper said from the doorway, a paper in his hand.

"What, Jasper?" Alice asked, sighing. "Here we go again." She thought, trying not to cringe.

"Why did you leave?" Jasper asked, reigning in his temper. He walked across the room and stopped in front of Alice. "I wanted to show you the newspaper article about NoiZe."

I'm sorry, Jasper." Alice told him, genuinely regretful that she had walked away from him. "I guess I was feeling left-out." She felt ashamed and looked at the floor. "That wasn't very nice of me. I should be happy for you" She admitted.

"Hey." Jasper said softly, lifting her chin. "It's okay, Ali. You don't have to be perfect all the time."

She smiled affectionately at him. "If he only knew..." She thought, knowing he spoke the truth, but unable to stop worrying that people wouldn't like her if she wasn't. "So... are you going to let me read the article?" Alice teased, changing the subject.

"Oh! Yeah." Jasper grinned and handed her the paper.

Alice read the article and a bright smile broke across her face. She is the one that made sure that the author of the article knew that NoiZe was going to be there. She didn't know for sure if he would go see them, but she was so happy that he did.

"This is awesome, Jas!" Alice smiled up at him. "Movie star good looks, huh?"

He grinned bashfully and a blush covered his cheeks. "Hey! I didn't write it." Jasper told her. "I was just being myself." He laughed, and Alice shook her head and laughed with him.

"Thank you for coming with me, Brent. My parents would be mad enough that I came into Lake Geneva, but by myself? They'd probably lock me up until I graduated." Alice rolled her eyes and Brent gave her a tentative smile. He still didn't feel good about her seeing her real mom without telling her parents, but she refused, so he figured that he'd at least go with her.

"Ali? Please think about telling your mom and dad after this, okay?' Brent asked her.

"I don't know, Brent." Ali said. "We'll see."

Brent blew out his breath in frustration and looked around. "Where exactly is she supposed to meet you?" He asked.

"Over by the diner." Alice answered. "Would you mind if I met with her alone?" She asked. "I'll give you some money for ice cream, or something."

"No... thanks anyway. You go meet her, and I'll just hang around across the street at the park." Brent told her, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Alright. Thanks, Brent. I really appreciate you coming with me." Alice told him.

"No problem, Ali. I just hope we don't get in trouble." said Brent with a worried look.

"There she is!" Alice hollered excitedly. "I promise, Brent, if we get in trouble, I will tell them that I made you come with me." She told Brent over her shoulder as she ran over to the diner to see Mary.

"Mary!" Alice called as she ran closer. Mary turned and waved when she spotted her. Alice didn't know if she should hug her, or not, so she just smiled when she greeted her.

"How have you been, Alice?" Mary asked her.

"Pretty good." Alice told her. "How about you?"

"Let's go inside and we can talk." Mary answered her, opening the door to the diner and ushering Alice inside.

Alice looked Mary over as she sat in the booth the hostess showed them to. Mary looked a lot like her. Dark blue eyes, dark hair, pale skin, but Mary was taller and her nose was a little bigger. Otherwise, it was obvious that they were related.

The waitress came over. "Can I get you ladies anything?"

Mary looked at Alice. "Ummm... I'll have some Iced Tea, please." Alice said.

"A Coke for me." Mary told her with a dismissive wave.

"Well, it is so good to see you." Mary said as soon as the waitress was gone. "How is everything going at home? Is that... boy... still trying to have sex with you?" When Alice looked down and blushed, Mary's eyes widened and a look of horror twisted her face. "Alice! No!" She gasped. "You didn't let him, did you?"

Alice shook her head. "No, I... no, I didn't... let him." Alice finally got out, trying to control her reaction to Mary's question.

Mary sighed in relief. "Thank God, Alice. Thank God." She watched Alice intently for a second and then sat back with a smile. "I'm so glad that you have the sense to keep him off of you. I don't want you to end up like me." She looked up as the waitress walked up with their drinks.

"What else can I get you girls?" The waitress asked with a friendly smile.

"How about some privacy?" Mary snapped. "If we want something, we'll let you know."

The waitress' eyes narrowed, her cheeks heated with anger and she pivoted on one foot and walked away.

Mary smiled at Alice. "Now, where were we? Oh, yeah. How are things going at home? I still can't believe that those... parents of yours, let that... boy slobber all over you. You think they would learn from my mistake."

"M... Mary." She said, suddenly feeling very out of place. "Carlisle and Esme are very protective. They are wonderful parents. They wouldn't let anyone... hurt me..." She trailed off as she remembered that Jasper had hurt her.

"What?" Mary asked quickly. "Has someone hurt you?"

"No! No one has hurt me. I just..." She looked worried and didn't know what to say.

"Hmmmm... maybe I should have the Department of Children and Family Services check into things, huh?" Mary asked her, scowling.

She looked over at Mary with a pleading look and felt as though her throat was closing up. As soon as she was able, she said, "That... isn't necessary, really. I have a good home... and good parents."

Mary had a triumphant look in her eyes, but Alice couldn't figure out why. "Good, because I would hate to have to make trouble for them because they were mistreating you." Mary continued. "I gave you up so you would have a better life, not so you could be... abused."

Alice chewed her lip. Suddenly, getting to know her real mom didn't seem like such a good idea.

"Well, if there is a problem, Alice, you need to tell me now. I don't know how long it'll be before I'll be able to see you again. My hours were cut at my job and I am going to have my wireless service cancelled because I can't afford it anymore." Mary looked disappointed. "I might even have to cancel my phone so, if you need my help, now is the only time you'll be able to get ahold of me." She looked really sad, and Alice felt her heart twist.

"I'm fine, Mary, really, I am." Alice insisted.

"Okay, Kiddo, if you're sure." Alice looked on as tears flooded Mary's eyes. "I am so... worried about you. Here we are just getting to know each other, and now..." Mary put her head down and wiped at her eyes. She looked back up at Alice, her eyes red and helpless. "Sorry. I shouldn't burden you with my problems. I just don't know how I am going to... make it..." Mary's voice broke and she put her head down again.

Alice thought frantically and then smiled. "I can help you!" She cried happily. "I can help you out. I have a lot of money in my savings account, and I'm sure my... Esme... would give me some to give you."

Mary looked up, still worried, but hopeful. "You would do that?" She asked incredulously, a look of wonder on her face. "For me?"

Alice looked so relieved and happy. "Of course I would. You're my mom." She said, still smiling.

"Oh, Alice! That is so... sweet of you!" Mary gushed. "I... don't know what... to say." Mary's eye filled with tears again and Alice felt the need to comfort her.

"It's nothing, Mary. I promise. The money is for me to use for college, and that's years away yet." Alice assured her. "You can pay me back when you can. There's no hurry."

"Thank you so much, Alice. I will re-pay you as soon as I can." Mary promised. "I am only here until tomorrow morning. Is it possible for you to get me the money before then?" Mary asked hopefully.

"I can get it right now, if you want." Alice confirmed. "My bank is right around the corner."

"That would be so great!" Mary laughed. "Oh, Alice! You are a lifesaver!"


	63. Making Progress

**Author's Note: First, I would like to thank all of my loyal readers. You guys rock! Seriously! You keep me going even when I'm wondering what the heck I'm doing! Your reviews are so awesome and I cannot express enough how much I appreciate you all! Secondly, I would like to apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. I dabbled in a One-shot for the Jasper's Naughty Girls' 'Teach Me the Nasty' contest. Some of you have read it, thank you for the positive reviews, and I appreciate your support so much! Voting has started, if you would like to read the other stories and vote, you will find the link on my profile. **

**I think the next few chapters will answer a lot of your questions – for a while, anyway, and I hope you continue to enjoy 'My Everything'. ~ Charli xoxo**

63.

Making Progress

"Thank you so much, Alice!" Mary told her, as Alice handed her the money she had taken out of her bank account. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't helped me out. Now I can afford to keep in touch with you." Mary cupped Alice's cheek in her hand. "I wish I could move closer so we could really connect, but I have to keep my job as long as I can."

Alice nodded, a small smile on her face. "I understand, Mary, I do. I'm so sorry that things have been so hard for you." Alice looked sad. "I wish we could've... gotten to know each other sooner."

"Well, we'll just have to make up for lost time, huh?" Mary asked, stuffing the money in her pocket. "Well, kiddo, I gotta' run. Next time, I'll try to be able to stay a little longer." Mary sighed and gave Alice a tight smile. "Even though they cut my hours, I still have to work every day, but I'll email you as soon as I can."

"All right." Alice tried to smile back. "Be safe going home."

"I will." Mary said, noticing Alice's brave attempt at a smile. She pulled her into a quick hug. "Take care of yourself, kiddo."

Alice waved as Mary hurried off, and then turned back toward the park where she saw Brent watching her from a picnic table. She ran over to him and he just looked at her.

"What?" Alice asked, bewildered at the look Brent was giving her.

"How much money did you give her, Alice?" Brent said between tight lips, a scowl on his face.

Alice looked startled. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, Ali." Brent growled. "I saw you walk over to the bank with her and get money out of the ATM. How much did you give her?"

"Brent, her hours were cut at work and she was going to have to cancel her Internet service. I wouldn't be able to get ahold of her at all." Alice protested, not answering his question.

"Fine. I'll just have to mention this to Jas since you won't answer my question." Brent told her, turning to start for home.

Alice went after him in a panic. "No! Brent, please!" She cried desperately and grabbed onto Brent's arm. "Please, don't tell Jas."

Brent stopped and whirled around to face her. "Alice, think about it. Mary is in town for one day and conveniently asks you for money? Come on."

"It's not like that, Brent." Alice tried to convince him. "She just wants to be able to stay in touch with me."

"Then why doesn't she want you to tell your family about her?" He demanded.

"I'm the one who doesn't want to tell them. She never asked me not to tell them." Alice insisted. "They wouldn't understand, Brent. I told you before, I don't want to hurt Es... my mom and dad."

"How much, Alice?" He demanded, again. Alice's shoulders sagged. He hardly ever called her, Alice, it was always, Ali, or some cutesy name like, Teensy.

"I gave her a $1,000.00, Brent." Alice said quietly.

"Ali!" Brent gasped. "Your parents are going to kill you when they find out."

"They can't find out, Brent! Please! I told you what you wanted to know." Alice cried desperately. "You can't tell."

Brent shook his head. "Just promise me that you won't give her any more money, okay?" He waited for her answer. "Ali, I mean it. I won't say anything, but I want your promise."

Alice shook her head slowly, looking at the ground. "I don't know..." She looked up at him. "I don't know if I can... promise you that. If she needs my help..." Her eyes filled with tears as she gave him a beseeching look. "She's my mom, Brent. If she needs me... I can't say no. Please understand." Alice pleaded.

Brent grabbed her by the upper arms and she winced as his fingers clung to the bruises that Jasper had left on her. "She's not your mom, Teeny. Esme Cullen is your mom." Brent let her go with a sound of disgust. "Jesus, Ali! Where the hell is this coming from? The Cullens love you. You are their daughter."

Alice looked ashamed and tears ran down her cheeks. "I don't belong there, Brent." She whispered. "I've never fit in. Edward hates me, and now I've caused nothing but trouble for Jas."

Brent looked incredulous. "Edward does not hate you, if anything, he's overprotective of you, and Jas adores you. Don't you love them, Ali?"

"Of course, I do, Brent. They are wonderful!" She wiped her face. "I just need this connection to my... to Mary."

Brent sighed and wrapped her in a hug. "All right, Teeny. Just be careful, okay?" He pulled back to look at her. "And do not go meet her without me, ever. You understand?"

Alice grinned and rolled her eyes. "I understand." Her grin disappeared and she gazed gratefully at him. "Thank you, Brent. You are the best friend anyone could ask for."

They hugged again. "Come on, let's go home." Brent took her hand and they started walking.

~xo-0-ox~

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Jasper, but I felt you should know." Lauren told Jasper as they stood in his driveway. "My sister is ignorant and refuses to believe it, but I knew, since you are smarter than her, that you would know the truth."

"Yes, I do know the truth. Thank you, Lauren." Jasper told her, gritting his teeth to keep from slapping her. "I'll see you around." He told her and went into the house.

"What was that about?" Rosalie asked Jasper when he came into the house.

"Lauren thought I should know that Ali and Brent are cheating on me and Jess. She saw them together in Lake Geneva earlier today, hugging." Jasper told her, a solemn look on his face.

"Jas, you don't believe that, do you?" Rose asked him, crossing her arms across her chest.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Of course not, Rose. She and Brent are best friends and besides, Brent is really into Jess. He's not interested in Ali like that."

Rosalie sighed in relief. With everything else that had gone on between Ali and Jas, she hoped there was no more drama for a while. "Well, good. I'm glad to hear that you are smarter than I thought."

"Thanks, Rose." Jasper said sarcastically. "I'm glad that my sister has such faith in me."

"Well, what do you expect? You act like you're going to kill any guy that even looks at Ali." Rosalie told him. "I worry about you. What if you hurt someone?"

"I'm not going to, Rose. I know she loves me." He said, looking a little sad. "I'm going to work really hard to prove that I'm worthy of her."

"I know you will, Jas." Rosalie said sympathetically, patting him on the shoulder. "I do have faith in you."

He gave her a big smile. "Thanks, Rosie." He teased and squeezed her tight.

She squeezed him back and prayed that he would be all right.

Alice and Brent came strolling down the road, talking, and Alice giggled at something Brent said. Jasper smiled and wondered what Brent had told her, he was always telling the most outrageous jokes. He looked back down at his guitar and continued replacing the broken string.

"Hey, J!" Brent called as he entered the Hales' garage. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good. How you doin', B?" Jasper asked, grinning at him.

"Okay." Brent answered quietly and Jasper looked at him curiously.

"Where'd you and Ali go?" Jasper asked, trying to appear casual, by continuing to fiddle with his guitar.

"Um... we walked into Lake Geneva." Brent told him a little defensively. "Why?"

"Huh?" Jasper looked up. "Oh. Just wondered. No reason." He smiled and looked back down, relieved that he didn't feel jealous at all.

"We practicing today?" Brent wondered, changing the subject as he took a seat at his drum set.

"Yeah... we are. Ed and Bells should be here soon." Jasper looked up. "That okay with you?"

"Hell yes!" Brent said in his usual exuberant way. "You know I love to rock." He beat out a rhythm and hit the cymbal with a grin as Jasper chuckled at him and shook his head.

"Yeah," Jasper's eyes twinkled as he grinned at Brent. "I know you do."

Alice was relieved to be in the house alone when Edward and Bella went over to Jasper's to practice. She felt so guilty and knew that she should tell her mom and dad about Mary, but she just couldn't risk that they wouldn't let her see her biological mom.

Alice pranced down the hall and shimmied down the stairs, singing at the top of her lungs to Britney on her iPod.

_"Sometimes I run, sometimes I hide. Sometimes I'm scared of you, but all I really want is to hold you tight. Treat you right. Be with you day and night. Baby, all I need is time." _

She never thought about it before, but this song sure fit how she felt about Jasper. She sang and danced her way into the kitchen to get some juice and, as she turned from putting the juice back in the fridge, she screamed when she saw Brent standing there.

"Oh my God! Brent, you scared the crap out of me!" Alice exclaimed, her hand over her heart. She pulled her earbuds out and turned off her iPod. "I thought you guys were practicing."

Brent just stood there staring at her. Alice frowned. "Brent? Are you all right?" She asked, noticing how bright his eyes were and how his mouth gaped open.

Finally, he seemed to wake up. "Ali... I've never heard you sing before."

Alice blushed and looked down. "Uh... I usually don't sing in front of... people." She muttered, her cheeks a bright pink. Looking to change the subject, she added again, "I thought you guys were practicing."

"Huh?" Brent's face cleared. "Oh, yeah! Can you help me find Edward's music for our new song? He forgot it and I said I'd get it. It's on the piano, he said."

"Sure. Come on." Alice found the sheet music that Edward and Jasper had been working on yesterday and handed it to Brent. "Is this the one?"

Brent looked at it and nodded. "Ali, I want you to come over to Jasper's with me."

Alice felt dread sweep over her. She didn't know why, but whatever Brent planned, it was a bad idea. "No, Brent. I have some things to do here. Sorry."

Brent grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him. "Come on, Ali. Just for a minute."

Alice resisted, but he just kept dragging her toward the door. "Brent!" Alice hollered at him, dragging her heels.

Brent turned and gazed at her with his chocolate brown puppy eyes. "Please, Ali? It won't take long."

Alice sighed, Brent grinned, and the next thing Alice knew, she was inside the garage at Jasper's house with Jasper grinning at her like an idiot.

"Ali! Hi!" Jasper called as he hurried over to her, his smile lighting up his whole face.

He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled shyly up at him. "Hi, Jas." His grin widened and she laughed. He was so cute when he looked at her like that. Her heart swelled with love and she took his hand.

He gave her hand a squeeze. "Did you come to listen to us practice?" His eyes shining with pleasure that she did, because she hadn't come to practice in a while.

"Um... I guess so." She said hesitantly looking at Brent.

Brent was practically jumping up and down waiting for them to get done with their kissy face stuff. "Finally!" He thought when they both looked over at him.

"Jas? Have you ever considered having Ali sing with us?" Brent asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

Alice gasped and Jasper looked back and forth between them, a scowl on his face. "What? Why would I do that?" He asked, dropping Alice's hand.

"Haven't you ever heard her sing?" Brent asked, shocked.

Jasper shook his head, putting his hands in his pockets. "I don't think so. Now that you mention it, not since she was like, five or six. Why?" Jasper did not like where this was going.

"Oh my God, J! You have got to have her sing for you. She was singing Britney, and Britney wishes she could sing that song the way Ali does." Brent looked at Alice's shocked face with pride, almost like he had something to do with the way she sang.

"Brent, I can't sing. My voice is terrible... I told you, I don't sing in front of people. If I hadn't had my earbuds in, I never would've gotten caught singing in front of you." Alice assured him, a look of horror on her face.

"Ali, you have an amazing voice! You sound like Pink, Kelly Clarkson and Christina all rolled into one." Brent gushed.

Alice looked at him helplessly. She'd never paid much attention to her singing voice, but one of the kids at school had told her she sounded like a cat being drowned, and she'd never gotten caught singing in front of anyone ever since.

"No." Brent and Alice both looked at Jasper.

"What?" Brent asked.

"No." Jasper repeated, a carefully blank look on his face.

Brent looked at him for a minute, his brow lowered in puzzlement. "Why not?" He finally asked, glancing over at Edward and Bella. Edward looked worried and Bella had the same look of puzzlement on her face that he probably had. He looked back toward Jasper and noticed Alice chewing her lip and looking at the floor.

"Jas? Why not?" Brent repeated when Jasper didn't say anything.

"I... just... I said no. End of discussion." Jasper snapped and turned back to the sheet music Brent had handed him.

He heard Alice sigh and he wondered if it was in relief or defeat. He leaned forward and turned Jasper back toward him with his hand on Jasper's arm. "I wanna' know why, J." Brent said firmly. "Why won't you let Alice sing for us? She's really good! At least listen to her."

Jasper's eyes turned dark and he got close to Brent's face with his own. "Brent, I said no. Now leave it be." Jasper growled.

Brent's eyes widened, but then he felt pissed. "No, J. I won't 'leave it be'. You said yourself that you aren't the boss of the band. We should vote on it."

Jasper snarled at Brent. "I fuckin' said no! God damn it! She. Is. Not. Singing. Period." Jasper backed off out of Brent's face and took a deep breath. He looked at Brent and his face relaxed into a sheepish expression. "Sorry. I... just don't think it's a good idea, okay?" Jasper tried to make amends. "Now, how about we practice." Jasper said as a statement instead of a question.

"You know what, Jas? Fuck you." Brent gritted out and turned towards Alice. Taking her arm, he said. "Sorry, Ali. I didn't realize that Jasper could be such an asshole. Come on, I'll walk you back."

Alice looked between Brent and Jasper, who was now staring at her with barely suppressed anger. "I... um... I'll stay here... for a while..." Alice stammered, trying not to meet Brent's eyes. "Sorry, Brent. I appreciate... um... you wanting me to sing... but I really don't... um... want to." Her eyes darted back to Jasper and her breath came out easier when she realized he was looking down at the paper again. "Let's just... put this behind us now... okay?" Her voice shook and Brent suddenly felt bad for not listening to her. He couldn't believe how Jasper reacted, though. He'd never seen Jas like that before.

He felt someone near him and looked up to see Bella standing there, Edward and Jasper watching them.

"Brent, Jas is... really... protective of Ali. He isn't trying to be an... asshole... he just..." She stopped and looked at Edward.

"He is an asshole, but he's not trying to be." Edward popped out. "He's got anger issues where my sister is concerned. He wants to rip out the throat of any guy who even looks at her, let alone talks to her." He smirked at Jasper, who was openly glaring at him. "It's true, Jas! You know it is. Name one good reason that Ali couldn't sing with us."

"I can name fifty, easily." Jasper retorted, going over and wrapping his arm around Alice's petite form. "The main one being, that I don't want her to get hurt. We have no way to protect her once Em leaves for school."

Brent scoffed at him. "What's she gonna' get hurt from, Jasper? It's not like there are hordes of fans hanging around just waiting to pounce on one of us."

"I don't know, Brent!" Jasper shouted at him. "I just don't want her to! Okay?" Jasper put Annabelle back in her case and stalked out the door.

"Sorry, Brent." Alice whispered, not meeting his eyes, but Brent knew, suddenly, like a light came on, that Alice was a little afraid of Jasper.

"It's okay, Teeny." He told her, hoping that he hadn't caused problems for her. "I'm sorry I pushed the issue."

Alice smiled tentatively at him, but her eyes looked worried.

Brent cleared his throat. "He's... not going to... take it out on you... is he?"

Alice looked unsure, but before she could answer. Edward piped up.

"You know he's not going to hurt you, Ali. He's just pissed right now and needs to let off some steam." Edward told her. "Why don't you see if he's okay?"

Alice paled and was at a loss of words. She gaped at Edward, but then nodded. "Alright." She looked at Brent. "Thanks for going with me, Brent." She said softly, giving him a grateful smile. "It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, Ali. Call me later. Okay?" Brent insisted, hidden meaning in his words.

"I will. Bye." Alice went into the house and Brent turned to Edward.

"What the hell was that, Ed? Seriously!" Brent demanded.

Edward looked uncomfortable. "Well, um... like Bella said, uhh... Jas is really... jealous and... protective of Ali. Sometimes he... overreacts... He doesn't mean to... he's... frustrated."

"I've never seen him act like that. All the times I've been over here, which is a lot, I've never seen him get so pissed. Over nothing!" Brent raged. "I want to know why the hell he won't even listen to Ali sing. She's really good! It would only help the band."

Bella took Brent's hand. "Please calm down, Brent. Jas just really loves Ali... a lot, and he's afraid that he'll lose her to someone else. She's just so young. He'll learn to be more... tolerant... as they get older."

"Bella! Do you really believe this shit?" He looked at Edward. "Or are you just repeating what Edward has told you?"

"Brent!" Bella gasped. "I know you and Ali are close, but you've been pretty busy with Jess, lately, and I'm here more often. Jasper and Alice love each other. They are really happy. Jas is just learning to control his temper. He's even going to a counselor."

"A counselor?" Brent asked sarcastically. "He _needs_ to see a counselor. That scene right there was fucked up!" Brent looked over at Edward. "And you! You sent her in there with him! What the hell?"

"Brent, calm down. Jas will not hurt Ali." Edward assured him. "She'll calm him down and everything will be fine."

"If you say so." Brent gritted out. "You are her brother, after all." He looked from Edward to Bella. "I'm out of here. I'll talk to you guys later. Maybe you should go make sure that Ali has... calmed Jas down." He made quotation marks with his fingers, turned on his heel and walked out the door.

Edward sighed and Bella turned to look at him. "Maybe you should go check on them, Edward." Bella suggested worriedly. "I've never seen Jasper that mad before, either."

"They'll be fine, Bells. Don't worry about it." Edward scoffed, focusing on the music sheet that Jasper had left behind. Bella looked at the door that Jasper and Alice had gone through and chewed her lip. She went over by Edward and sat down next to him on the piano bench, but her eyes kept straying back to the door. She wished that Alice would come back so she could see for herself that she was all right.

"I'm sorry, Jas. I didn't ask to sing for you guys." Alice assured Jasper. Jasper stood rigid several feet away from her, a frown on his face. He wouldn't look at her and she felt sick to her stomach. "I don't even like being up in front of people. You know that."

Jasper looked over at her. "Do I, Ali? Do I know that?" He shook his head. "I remember you asking if you could be in the band. I remember you letting Rose dress you up and coming to Emmett's baseball game looking like a hooker. You weren't too worried about being the center of attention then."

Alice gasped. "I did not look like a hooker! We were just having fun, Jas. Besides, no one even notices me, especially if Rose is next to me. Come on! Look at me! I look like a little kid. Only pedophiles would notice me." She tried to joke a little to lighten the mood.

Jasper's face got even angrier. "Oh? I notice you." He growled. "This past Spring I remember Tony noticing you, and what about Matt? He sure as hell noticed you. It seems to me that you like when _people_ notice you, Ali." He emphasized the word, people, and Alice knew he meant boys.

She walked a little closer to him. "Jas, you know I love you. Come on. You don't really believe that I want to entice other guys, do you? We just went through this a couple days ago. You are the only guy I want. You've always been the only guy."

Alice trembled at her own daring, but she couldn't let him intimidate her any more. She walked up to him and put her hand on his chest. He looked down at her with hot eyes and a sneer on his lips.

"Jas, I don't even see other guys." Alice tried to convince him. "They're just people. You are my everything. You always have been. You know that."

Jasper's stance relaxed and a slight smile replaced the sneer of his mouth. "You're my everything, too, Ali. That's why I can't even think about you with someone else. What would I do without you?" He wrapped his arms around her and put his forehead to hers. "I guess it's a good thing I'm getting help with my temper, huh? It scares even me."

Alice grinned at him. "You'll be okay, Jas. I heard Daddy say that hormones are killer to go through. I think you're making up for being so easy-going when we were younger."

"Maybe." Jasper said. "It's still no excuse, though, I should be able to control myself." He shook his head. "I've never, ever felt as though I've disappointed our dads like I did when I hurt you, Ali. I hope you know that I didn't mean to. Just... please... stay away from Matt, okay? At least until I get some counseling under my belt and learn to curb my temper."

"Okay, Jas. It's not like I really care if I see Matt, or not. I mean, he's nice and all, but I don't seek him out." Alice reassured Jasper.

"Yeah, okay." He hugged her to him and then looked into her face again. "Thanks, darlin'. I do love you."

"I love you, too, Jas." Alice gave him a brilliant smile and his heart flipped in his chest. He loved her so much, it was almost an obsession, and that scared him even more than losing her did.

~xo-0-ox~

"Honey, this is the office. You check in here before you do anything else. That way, Mrs. Gimble knows you were here. After that, you go to the board and see what needs to be done." Esme showed Jasper the dry erase board that hung on the wall in the office at the women's shelter. "Let's see... well, the food and toiletries arrived earlier. They need to be unpacked and put away. How about if we do that? We could use a little muscle around here. Those things can get heavy." Esme looked at him with a grin and Jasper grinned back. He could unpack some boxes and help her put the stuff away. Piece of cake.

"Sure, Ms. Esme. I think I can handle that." Jasper assured her.

"Okay! Then, let's get to it." She led him out of the office and down the hall. Going into a big room, Jasper noticed a big pile of cardboard boxes. "Here are the supplies." Esme told him, picking up a sheet of paper off the top of one of the boxes. "Hmmmm... well, there are a lot of canned goods and some paper goods. That shouldn't be too hard. Let's start with that."

Jasper started unstacking the boxes, his muscles bulging at their weight. They were a lot heavier than they looked and he wondered how someone as small as Esme could manage them.

"You make that look so easy, Jas." Esme giggled. "I have to use the step-ladder and unpack them piece by piece."

"It's no problem, Ms. Esme." Jasper told her, setting a large box on the floor. After he had taken four of the boxes off the top, Esme asked him to open them and start unpacking the items.

"I'll be right back, Jas. Then I'll show you where the stuff goes." She told him. Jasper nodded and pulled the flaps open of the first box. He pulled cans of vegetables and fruit out of two of the boxes, discovering why they were so heavy. Another held toilet paper and still another held paper towels. He took a few more boxes off the top and opened those, as well. All he needed was for someone to tell him where they went.

Jasper looked up as a woman came into the room. She looked startled to see him there and froze.

"Um... hi. I'm Jasper. I... uh... am here with Esme... Mrs. Cullen." He stammered, trying to put her at ease. "I'm helping out..."

She relaxed, but kept her distance. "It's nice to meet you, Jasper." She said in a soft voice. "I'm Carrie."

"Nice to meet you, too, Carrie." Jasper said in a soft voice, not wanting to make her any more nervous. "You wouldn't know where any of this stuff goes, would you?"

Carrie looked at the pile of cans he had stacked. "Well, the cans go in the kitchen, I know that." She told him. "The toilet paper and paper towels go in the storage room." She looked at him, her head tilted. "Do you know where that is?"

Jasper shook his head. "No, Ms. Esme was supposed to come back and tell me, but she must've got busy, or something."

Carrie grinned at him. "That woman is always busy." She giggled. "She's like a whirlwind around here. I don't know what anyone would do without her."

Jasper chuckled. "She's like that at home, too. I don't know what any of us kids would do without her, either."

"Is she your... step-mom?" Carrie wondered, confused.

Jasper chuckled again. "No. She and Dr. Cullen have been best friends with my parents since they were kids. We live next door to each other and she's like another mom to me. In fact, my mom works full-time so Esme raised me as much as she did."

"That's really wonderful!" Carrie said, enthusiastically. "I mean, for you all to help each other out like that."

"I guess it is." Jasper told her. "We've all been raised as one big family. My sister and I, and then the three Cullen kids, we can go to any of the parents any time if we need something."

Carrie shook her head, amazed at their arrangement. "That would be so great!" Then she looked a little sad. "I would've loved to have something like that when I was growing up. Maybe I wouldn't be living here right now, if I had."

Jasper didn't know what to say. He hadn't had any experience with the women who lived here, yet, and he didn't want to say the wrong thing.

"It's okay, Jasper." Carrie assured him. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Is this your first day?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Jasper said, nodding his head. "I haven't even had the chance to meet anyone else, yet."

"Well, we'll have to fix that, won't we?" Carrie laughed and came close enough to link her arm with Jasper's. "Come on and I'll introduce you around." Carrie said as she led him from the room.

Jasper was stunned as Carrie led him around, introducing him to whomever they came across. She knew everyone, and he wondered how long she'd lived here.

"Amy? This is Jasper. He came to help out." Carrie introduced him to yet another woman. This one was almost as small as Alice, but very fair. Her skin, eyes and hair were all light-colored and he tried really hard not to stare at the black bruises that stood out against her skin. She looked so fragile and Jasper couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her.

"It's nice to meet you, Amy." Jasper said with a friendly smile, slightly bowing his head.

Amy gave him a shy smile. "You, too, Jasper. Thank you for helping us."

"My pleasure, Ma'am." Jasper told her and she giggled and blushed.

"So charming!" Amy twittered. "Your mom must be so proud."

It was Jasper's turn to blush. "I hope so, Ma'am. Her and my dad taught me manners and I make sure to use them."

Amy and Carrie both giggled and Jasper's blush deepened.

"Are you ladies trying to steal my helper?" Esme teased as she walked over to them. "I see Carrie is showing you around, Jas." She looked at Carrie. "Thank you, Carrie. I got waylaid, as usual." She laughed and her eyes twinkled.

"That's what I figured, Esme." Carrie laughed, as well. "I figured I'd show Jasper around until we found you."

"He's quite a charmer, huh?" Amy giggled as she addressed Esme. Jasper ducked his head and the three ladies laughed.

Esme put her hand on his arm. "Yes, he is, and he's a hard worker, too." Esme admitted proudly. "I am proud to say that I had a hand in raising him."

Jasper grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Yes, she did." He said, looking at the other two women. "She is as much of a mom to me as my mom is. I'd do anything for her."

"Awwwwwwww!" Carrie and Amy said together and Esme chuckled.

"I think you'll get along just fine here, Jas." She giggled, shaking her head at the two women fawning over Jasper.

The other two women laughed. "I'm sure he will, too." Carrie added. "As long as we don't tease him too much."

Jasper blushed again and the three women laughed.

"Who do we have here?" An older woman asked as she approached the group.

"Mrs. Gimble! It's so nice to see you!" Esme exclaimed. "This is Jasper. He is Jackson and Lynnette's son."

"Ah, welcome, Jasper." The woman said. "Thank you for helping us out. As you can see, we don't get many men helping here, so it is such a thrill for us to have you here."

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Gimble." Jasper greeted her. "I'm glad I could help."

"Well, I'm sure I'll see you around, Jasper. If you ever need anything, feel free to let me know." Mrs. Gimble told him and, waving, she moved off on her way.

"Okay, Jas, I suppose I should show you where all of those supplies go." Esme told him. "Ladies, I will see you both later." She nodded and led Jasper away.

"Nice to meet you both." Jasper called as he followed her.

In the car, Jasper addressed Esme. "Ummm... Ms. Esme, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Jas. What is it?" Esme asked as she drove them home.

"Are all of those women there because someone beat them up?" He wondered.

Esme gave him a sad smile before looking back at the road. "Unfortunately, yes they are, Jas. Even Mrs. Gimble was an abuse victim."

Jasper shook his head. "I can't believe that. I don't know how a man could beat on a woman like that, especially small ones like Amy and Jill."

"I don't know, either, Jas. Most of those women feared for their lives and had no where else to go. If that shelter wasn't there, they would still be living with their abusers. Some of their children were abused along with them."

"I know. I saw that little boy with the broken arm and bruises. I thought it would make me angry to see that stuff, but all it did was make me sad." Jasper told her, looking down at his hands. "Ms. Esme? You don't think that I would turn into one of those men, do you?"

Esme looked over at Jasper for a second. "No, Jas. I don't. I think you are a very wonderful person. I think you are just frustrated and confused and are having a hard time getting everything straight in your head." She stopped at a stoplight and looked at him again. "Jas, we all know that you didn't mean to hurt Ali. We should've discouraged you kids from going together until you were older. I guess we didn't realize how serious you were until it was too late. We blame ourselves for a lot of your angst, sweetheart. You shouldn't be worried about such grown-up stuff yet." She looked uncertain for a second and let out a sigh. "I think we all expected the two of you to be together when you grew up since you've always had such a tight bond. We didn't think it would be any different, you know? You two would hang out like you always have. No problem, huh?" She let out a light laugh. "Parents aren't perfect, either, Jas. Life is a big guessing game. You try to be the best person you can be and pray that you do the right thing. There is nothing harder than being a parent, except maybe going through puberty." They both laughed as the light turned green, and Esme continued home.

As they pulled into the Cullen's driveway, Jasper made a little noise in his throat. Esme parked the car and looked at him. He was looking down at his hands again.

"What is it, Jas?" Esme asked kindly.

Jasper looked up at her, his brilliant green eyes swimming in tears. "I really am sorry that I hurt Alice, Ms. Esme. I have never hurt anyone before." He shook his head in self-disgust. "I would hope that I would never hurt anyone on purpose. I don't think I could live with myself if I did."

"Oh, Jasper." Esme crooned, reaching over and gathering him against her chest. "You are such a good person, Jas. No one would ever think that you would hurt a fly. We just want you to have a happy life and we think that you will be just fine." Esme assured him as he wept against her. "Whether you and Ali end up together, or not, you will always be another son to me and Carlisle. You know you can come to us any time."

Jasper nodded his head. "I know." He agree in a muffled voice. "I love you, Ms. Esme."

"Love you, too, Jas." Esme told him, soothing him as he cried.

~xo-0-ox~

"Last one in, is a rotten egg!" Emmett called running for the pool.

Jasper laughed as he ran past him and jumped into the water.

"No fair!" Emmett bellowed as he jumped in after him.

Rosalie shook her head as she walked toward the pool. "What a couple of neanderthals." She commented, making Alice giggle.

Rose and Alice settled on two of the lounge chairs as the boys wrestled in the water. The girls watched them, laughing.

"Do you think they'll ever grow up, Rose?" Alice laughed.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Are you kidding me? Your brother will still be a big kid when he's eighty!" She said as Alice giggled, imagining Emmett as an eighty year old still running around like a kid.

"That could be a good thing, though, don't you think?" Alice asked, between giggles.

"I suppose." Rose answered, rolling her eyes again.

"Hey, Rosie!" Emmett yelled from the pool. "You coming in?"

"Not likely." Rose yelled back, stretching out on the chaise lounge.

Emmett pouted. "Why not, baby?"

"Emmett Cullen, if I was your _baby_, I'd be calling you, Daddy." Rose sniped at him.

Alice covered her mouth as she broke out into giggles again. She saw Rosalie's lips twitch as she tried not to grin.

"Rose? Please come swim with me. Please!" Emmett called again.

Alice looked at Jasper as he grinned from the other side of the pool. He loved when Emmett and Rose had a battle of wills. They were hilarious.

"Rosalie... come on." Emmett whined pitifully.

Jasper burst out laughing. "Oh my God, Em! That sounded like a three year old nagging his mama for some candy."

Emmett turned and splashed him. "Shut up, Jas! I don't see your woman in here, either."

"I didn't ask her to come in, yet, did I?" Jasper splashed him back, and it was on again.

Rosalie snorted and adjusted her sunglasses as she lay soaking up the sun. The boys wrestled and splashed, and Alice giggled, watching them.

"What a perfect day." Alice thought, taking a deep breath. Their parents had relaxed their vigil on her and Jasper some, and Jasper had apologized several times to both her and Brent about his outburst in the garage. Jasper's doctor had told their parents that he was making a lot of progress in understanding why he blew up the way he did and he was learning techniques on how to control his temper. With a sigh, she lay back on her chair and closed her eyes. She felt the sun on her face and body and wondered how it would be at school this year. She was a little nervous, but she knew it wouldn't be much different from the past few years since she would still be with all of her friends.

"Ali." She heard Jasper call softly, and she smiled. "Ali."

Alice continued to lay on the lounge chair, smiling, and called out, "What, Jas?"

"Will you come swim with me?" He said sweetly. She wanted to play coy like Rose, but she also wanted to show Emmett up by going in the water, too. She heard Rosalie laugh next to her and her smile got bigger.

"Well, I don't know, Jas. What's in it for me?" She called back jokingly.

"Ummmm... well, you get to swim with me." Jasper chuckled.

Alice and Rose both burst out laughing, and Alice heard Emmett snort. That decided it for Alice. She got up, put her sunglasses on the chair and walked over to the edge of the pool.

"I would love to swim with you, Jas." She purred, and then purposely looked over at Emmett.

Emmett scowled. "Alice Cullen! I am your favorite big brother and this is how you repay me?" He shook his head. "I can't believe that you'd show up your favorite big brother with this... wuss... over here."

"Wuss?" Jasper yelled, outraged. "I'll show you a wuss!" He jumped on Emmett and they started wrestling again. Alice yelped when she got splashed by cold water and ran back to her chair.

Rose was sitting up watching the boys and laughed when Alice got splashed. "You can't trust them, Ali. You should know that by now. They're like a couple of puppies. They can't stop rolling around for one minute."

Alice giggled. "You're right. They do look like two puppies rolling around."

Emmet jumped away from Jasper and got out of the pool. He shook the water off himself and looked at Jasper mockingly. "Ha! Now what are you gonna' do, Wussy boy?"

"Are you chicken, Emmett Cullin?" Jasper called back. "You're the one who's running away like a little girl."

Emmett roared and jumped back into the pool, attacking Jasper and causing him to laugh. The girls shook their heads at the boys again and both settled onto the chairs.

Alice noticed that it had gotten quiet a little while later. She glanced up and let out a squeak. Jasper was standing over her and Emmett was by Rose. Rosalie hadn't noticed him yet and he swooped down and grabbed her up.

"God damn it, Emmett!" Rosalie shrieked. "Don't you dare throw me in that pool!"

Alice and Jasper couldn't stop laughing as Emmett did a cannonball into the pool with Rose screeching in his arms. Alice looked up with laughing eyes at Jasper. He was still watching Emmett and his sister and she admired how handsome he was. She couldn't believe for the millionth time that he actually loved her. She was so lucky.

Jasper looked back down at Alice to see her watching him with a tender expression on her face.

"Hi." He whispered to her with his lop-sided grin.

"Hi." She whispered back, a blush staining her cheeks. Jasper laughed at her.

"Ali, how can you blush at me for just saying hi?" He wondered, chuckling at her.

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." She said, her cheeks reddening even more.

Jasper shook his head and sat down on the edge of the chair. "Would you like to swim for a while? Em and I are done horsing around."

Alice nodded. "Okay." She said and started to get up. She let out another squeak as Jasper swept her up into his arms and carried her over to the pool. Alice thought he was going to throw her in, but he walked down the ladder with her and brought her gently into the water. She looked up at him questioningly and he smiled.

"I wouldn't want to treat my precious treasure roughly." He grinned adorably at Alice and she rolled her eyes and groaned. Jasper put his head back and laughed as he let her go in the water and they started to swim with Rose and Em.


	64. Jasper's Confession

64.

Jasper's Confession

"Jasper, do you understand what I'm saying?" Jasper's counselor, Jane Lynch asked him. "Just because you enjoyed the way it felt, doesn't mean that it wasn't wrong."

Jasper continued to look at her wide-eyed. He was somewhat shocked by what she'd told him. She believed that he had been sexually molested by Savannah at Kristy's party. It made no sense to him.

"Jasper, what she did was wrong. As a fifteen year old boy, you are expected to want to have sex. People talk about your hormones and sex drive, but it's still your choice. You told me that you were hoping that she'd let you kiss her, and she did something else entirely. The question isn't if you enjoyed it, but if you were ready for it. Then, when she initiated intercourse when you tried to break it off with her, did she really give you a choice? Or did she use your benevolent disposition to manipulate you into allowing her to do what she wanted?

Jasper shook his head. "I... don't know. I... didn't expect it... either time... but I... liked it." Jasper stuttered out, turning bright red.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Jasper, even though I know that this is embarrassing for you." Jane said. "Let's explore this a little more... has anyone initiated sexual acts with you since Savannah, or have you initiated sexual acts with anyone else?"

"Well..." Jasper ducked his head. He was ashamed to admit how he had coerced Alice into letting him touch her. "I... was... I was with... someone..." He couldn't go on, he didn't know what to say.

"It's okay, Jasper. I'm not here to judge you, I'm here to help you. This conversation is between me and you. No one else will ever know what was said, unless you want them to."

Jasper looked up and saw the truth in Jane's face. "Okay." He said softly. "I have been intimate with another person... but only by... touching."

"Was this intimacy initiated by the other person?" Jane pressed, in a soft, understanding voice.

Jasper shook his head. "No. I... It was... me... I... did it."

Jane waited to see if Jasper would open up on his own. When he didn't, she pressed him a little more.

"Was this person open to the idea, or did you persuade them like Savannah did with you?" When Jasper balked at the question, Jane changed her tactics. "Let me reword that, Jasper. When you were intimate with this person, did they want to be intimate with you? I'm not saying that you forced them, I'm just wondering if you had to persuade them."

"I had to... p-persuade them." Tears gathered in Jasper's eyes. He felt like a rapist remembering the night of the Fourth of July.

"Jasper?" Jane called in a quiet voice. Jasper looked up at her and she handed him a tissue. "It's all right. You are not a bad person. You were acting the way you were taught, so to speak."

Jasper wiped his eyes. "B-but the... person... is only thirteen. I... I didn't want to hurt... h-her. We kissed... and I... t-touched her."

"Is that all that happened?" Jane asked him gently. "You touched her?"

Jasper nodded, tears on his cheeks. "But I wanted... to do more. I just... stopped myself."

"Why do you feel that this behavior is wrong, Jasper? Why are you upset?" Jane asked kindly.

"Well, I knew it was... wrong... but I... did it... anyway." He looked at Jane with an anguished expression. "Does that mean I am a... a... molester, too?" He had a look of horror on his face at his realization.

Jane chuckled softly. "No, Jasper. You are not a molester. It is perfectly normal for a boy your age to be curious. The difference is that you have to know what is okay, and what is not. Obviously, you realize that it is wrong to initiate sexual acts with a thirteen year old. Right? Just as it was wrong for Savannah to initiate sex with you."

Jasper nodded, feeling a little sick to his stomach. He had pursued Alice until she'd finally given in and let him look at her and touch her, and now, he'd let her touch him, too.

He saw Jane watching him until, finally, she looked down at her notes. He felt like she could see right through him, like she'd know if he lied to her, and he vowed that he wouldn't. No matter how terrible it was, he would tell her the whole truth. He wanted to be normal again, to be able to be with Alice without wanting to lock her away where no other guys could see or touch her.

"How did you feel after the first time Savannah touched you? I mean, the days after." Jane asked him, gaining his focus again.

"Well, I felt pretty good." Jasper admitted, wiping his face dry. "A lot of my friends had found out and were congratulating me at school. I felt proud, like I had done something really... great. The only thing is, then I would feel..." Jasper turned red again.

"Go ahead when you're ready." Jane told him softly.

"Well, I would feel... urges... like I had never felt before. I wanted to keep going out with Savannah so I could... feel... that way again." Jasper whispered, obviously extremely embarrassed with this whole conversation.

"Okay, Jasper. Why don't we take a break?" Jane suggested.

"No." Jasper looked straight at Jane. "I want to go on. I need to get this fixed."

"Get what fixed, Jasper?" Jane asked him, slightly puzzled.

"My anger and wanting to hurt people." Jasper told her. "I have to get control over myself or I will miss out on... well, my life."

"That it true, Jas, and I think you are doing really great." Jane assured him. "A few more questions then. Let's see... okay... can you tell me how you felt about your urges after you and Savannah were no longer together."

"Well, I felt relief that we were... done... I didn't want to go out with her, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings, either." Jas said, looking down at his hands. "I was kind of angry at her for... like, showing me what I was... missing." Jasper shook his head and looked up. "I don't know if that's a good way to put it."

"It's fine." Jane assured him, then pressed on. "You were angry at her?"

"Well, yeah. She made me want to have... sex... and I hadn't really wanted to before..." Jasper scratched his head. "I mean... I did, but I didn't know... " Jasper broke off, not knowing how to say what he was feeling.

"Is it safe to say that you were angry at Savannah for showing you how it felt to have sex, therefore making you want to feel that way again?" Jane tried to help him clarify his feelings.

"Pretty much." Jasper admitted. "I was attracted to girls before Savannah, but I hadn't ever even kissed anyone before then."

"Do you think you are still angry with Savannah?" Jane asked, sounding like she already knew what his answer would be.

Jasper nodded his head. "All I wanted was to kiss her. I didn't really plan to start... that... yet."

"Jasper, you do know that you do not have to continue having a sexual relationship with anyone, don't you?" Jane asked him kindly. "Just because you are experienced now, doesn't mean that you have to be intimate with anyone you date. There are no expectations. You have the choice to decide."

Jasper looked at his hands, deep in thought.

~xo-0-ox~

"...so, Jasper wanted me to tell you what we talked about today." Jane told Jackson and Lynnette as they sat in her office. "We covered some embarrassing issues, and he handled himself very well, but he'd feel more comfortable with me filling you in, at this point."

Jane looked down at her notes again and took a deep breath. It was never easy telling parents that their child had been assaulted, whether willing, or not.

"Jane, I have the feeling we are not going to like what you are about to tell us." Jackson commented, his body tense. Lynnette looked over at him and put her hand over his. He glanced at her with a tight smile and squeezed her hand, then they both looked back over at Jane.

"It's never easy to talk to parents about the suffering their children endure." Jane told them. "I feel that Jasper's anger most likely stems from an incident he experienced when he went out with his first girlfriend, Savannah." Jane paused as Jackson and Lynnette exchanged surprised looks.

When they turned back to look at her, Jackson told her, "They only went out for a short time. How come he didn't tell us that something happened?"

"I can understand that you're confused, Jackson. Jasper didn't feel that what happened was something bad until recently." Jane looked at their expectant faces. "Your son was sexually assaulted by her." At Jackson's outraged look, Jane stayed him with her hand. "I know you're upset, please let me finish. He thought that, at his age, and because it felt good, what happened was okay. When it happened a second time, he thought it was supposed to. Now he realizes that he has been angry for having these feelings and frustrated that he doesn't know what to do about them."

Lynnette and Jackson just sat there for a second, Lynnette's eyes filled with tears, and then she had to know, her voice shaking. "What did she... do to him?" Jackson drew in a breath and looked at her, but she kept her eyes intensely on Jane.

"Well, she performed fellatio on him, and then they had intercourse on another occasion." Jane told them carefully.

"Oh my God! My baby..." Lynnette cried. "He wasn't even fifteen yet when they first went out." She looked at Jackson. "I knew that girl was bad news. Why did we let him go anywhere with her?" Tears flowed down her cheeks as she shook her head in denial.

Jackson put a soothing hand on her back, for once not knowing what to say. He looked helplessly at Jane. "What do we do now?" He asked.

"Well, now that Jasper has figured out where a lot of his anger issues are coming from, we are going to work on when he's angry and how he can get passed it." Jane took a deep breath again. "I have to warn you, there may be an increase in angry outbursts now that he will be dealing with this. He's very smart and mature for his age, but he is only fifteen." She looked worried for a second and cleared her throat. "There is one more thing... Jasper has admitted to me that he has... initiated sexual intimacy with another girl. He said that it was only touching, but he did tell me that he did... pressure her."

Lynnette gasped and Jackson scowled. They looked at each other and said at the same time, "Alice."

~xo-0-ox~

"I haven't had any bad dreams in a while." Alice told her therapist. "I'm not even sure if I've been dreaming at all."

"Well, that is a good thing, don't you think?" Barbara Carter asked, smiling.

"I guess so..." Alice said cautiously. She hated these sessions. She was always so afraid that she would slip and tell Dr. Carter something she shouldn't.

Barbara sighed. She knew that Alice was holding back during their appointments, but she didn't know how to break through to her. Sure she had made progress, she hadn't had a nightmare for a couple weeks now, but there were other things that she was keeping to herself and Barbara could tell that she kept herself guarded on purpose.

"Is there anything that you would like to talk about today, Alice?" Dr. Carter asked.

Alice thought for a minute and shook her head. "Not that I can think of." Alice answered tentatively.

"Okay, Alice." Barbara looked over her notes. "I'd like to ask you some questions then. If you feel like telling me something besides the answers to my questions, please feel free. Okay?"

Alice nodded and started chewing on her lip, her fingers twisted together in her lap. These sessions were torture. She just wanted to go home where she wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding out about her secrets.

~xo-0-ox~

Esme and Alice walked in the front door and heard voices raised. They looked at each other as they made their way into the kitchen where Jasper was quietly seated in a chair at the table, and Carlisle, Jackson, Emmett and Lynnette were standing, arguing. When they spotted Alice and Esme, they all became silent and looked at each other. Alice looked at Jasper and he gave her a remorseful look before dropping his gaze to the table in front of him.

"Esme! Ali! I didn't hear you come in." Carlisle said, trying to appear normal. Alice and Esme both hugged him and then looked questioningly at the other occupants in the room.

"What's going on, Carlisle?" Esme asked.

Carlisle looked concerned and then glanced at Lynnette.

"Esme," Lynnette said, "why don't you come into the other room for a few minutes?"

Esme looked startled and turned panicked eyes to Carlisle. Carlisle nodded at her and she followed Lynnette out of the room.

"Ali, darlin', you better sit down for this." Jackson said kindly, once Esme and Lynnette were gone.

Alice nodded and took a seat next to Jasper at the table. Jackson cleared his throat. "Jas had a counseling appointment today, and some things were brought to our attention that we didn't... know about." Jackson scratched his head and looked helplessly at Carlisle.

"Alice, we know that you and Jasper have been... intimate." Carlisle uncharacteristically blurted out.

Alice blanched and looked at Jasper. He looked at her warily and gave her an apologetic smile.

"Jasper confessed that he had pressured you into letting him... touch you." Her dad continued. "We are putting a stop to anything like that happening again."

Alice looked at Jasper accusingly and his smile faded away. She turned back toward the three people watching her, but stared straight ahead, her face flushed.

"I don't want the two of you to be alone, ever. Emmett has offered to... chaperone you, and we are in discussions if you will be allowed to... see each other at all." Carlisle said sternly. Alice looked at Emmett, but he was glaring at Jasper. Carlisle continued. "There will be no more... intimacy between the two of you. No kissing or touching, or anything. You are far too young."

Alice sat there, stone-faced, and Carlisle wondered if she had even heard him. "Alice? Did you hear what I said?" He father asked her. Alice's eyes shifted to his and he was surprised to see the anger shining in them.

"I heard you." She stated simply, her fingers twisted together. "Can I go to my room now?"

Carlisle shared a guarded look with Jackson and shook his head. "We'd like to talk about this a little more, Ali."

"Fine." She snapped, and fixed her eyes ahead again. She could feel Jasper looking at her and her face was on fire.

No one said anything and Alice just sat there, not moving, and staring straight ahead. She was mortified that Jasper would tell their parents about their times together. She would never trust him again. She now knew that she was right not to tell him about Mary. He would tell, and she would not be allowed to see Mary any more. Her guilt melted away and she felt proud that she had trusted her instincts.

Lynnette and Esme came back into the kitchen, and the four adults sat down at the table. Emmett walked over and sat on a stool at the counter, still staring holes into Jasper. Alice didn't acknowledge this change and continued to stare straight ahead. Jasper reached over and tried to take her hand, but Alice snatched it away and held it on her lap. She didn't want to be here and she certainly didn't want to be touched, especially by Jasper.

"Ali?" Esme said softly. "I know you're embarrassed, honey, but no one blames you."

Alice looked at her mom and saw tears in her eyes. Her eyes shifted to Lynnette and saw her gazing at Jasper with sorrow on her face. She didn't dare look at any of the men, she couldn't bear to see the expressions on their faces. She wondered how much Jasper had told them. Did he give them details, or did he just allude to what happened. She wanted to run from the room and never face any of them ever again.

"We know that you two care deeply for each other, you've always had a special connection, but we feel that you deserve a chance at being children, too." Esme said, her voice breaking.

"We just want what's best for you both, and we feel that you have gotten way too serious, way too fast." Lynnette added, looking from Jasper to Ali. Alice glanced at her. She just wanted this over with.

"We feel... responsible." Carlisle choked out. "We should've paid more attention to what was going on in our own homes. We never should've assumed that you could handle what a relationship entails at your ages." Carlisle took a shuddering breath. "I'm so... sorry." Jackson laid a comforting hand on his shoulder and Carlisle smiled gratefully at him.

"Maybe it's best if the kids don't... see each other... just for a few, I don't know... weeks?" Carlisle said uncertainly.

"Weeks?" Alice shrieked, her head whipping around to look at her dad. All six pairs of eyes widened at her outburst and she jumped up from her chair. "You expect to keep me and Jasper apart for a few _weeks_? You can't stop us from seeing each other! We love each other. Where were you all this time? Where were you when things were hard?" She glared at each of the adults in turn as they sat there with their mouths hanging open in shock. "Now that we have things all worked out, you decide that you're going to keep us apart? You can't do that! I won't let you!" She looked at Jasper, who had the same expression on his face as the rest of them. "Don't just sit there. Say something." She demanded. "You started this. Do you want to be separated?"

Jasper's mouth worked but nothing came out. He looked at her helplessly as he tried to think of what to say.

"Alice, calm down." Carlisle said firmly. Alice looked at him, her stance determined.

"No! I won't calm down." Alice declared. "This is _my_ life. You can't... practically... throw me at Jasper, and then... and then... just... tear us apart. It's not fair. It's not... right."

Carlisle stood up, his hands held out to her. "Ali... honey, please calm down." He pleaded. "No one is tearing you apart. I'm just trying to... gain control of a situation that you shouldn't have been faced with in the first place. I'm as upset about this as you are, but I have to determine what is the right way to... handle it."

Jackson stood up next to Carlisle. "Ali, darlin', we just want to do the right thing to protect you and help you to be happy."

Alice shook her head. "No. No... none of you ever worry if I'm happy..."

"Alice!" Esme gasped. "You know that's not true."

"Do I?" Alice demanded, tears streaming down her face, and Jasper stood up at her side. He tried to take her into his arms, but she spun at him and slapped at his hands. "And you! How dare you tell the private details of our... relationship. You... start all of this, and then you... betray me?"

Alice stumbled away from the table. She glared at all of them and yelled. "I hate you all! I... hate you!" She ran from the room and Carlisle started after her. Jackson stayed him with his hand and they all sighed with relief when they heard Alice pound up the stairs instead of running out the front door.

Jackson ran a hand through his hair. "Well, that went well." he sighed as Carlisle looked at him.

Jasper stared after Alice, his heart broken and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He had just tried to do the right thing by telling his counselor what had happened. He wanted to be better so that he and Alice could be happy. He never thought about what dragging her into this, would do to her. Then again, did any of them ever think about what Alice would feel when they decided something? He remembered comments she had made about never being asked about what she wanted. He sank back down into his chair, his head in his hands, wishing he'd just never mentioned Alice to Jane.

Alice slammed her door shut, locked the lock and shoved the chair under the knob. She flopped down onto her bed on her stomach, and screamed into the pillow. She had never been so mad in all her life and she didn't know how to deal with it. She couldn't believe that Jasper had told their parents about them touching each other. What the hell had he been thinking?

She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. "Oh my God!" She covered her face with her hands. She'd never be able to face any of them ever again. She felt Jasmine jump up onto the bed and she uncovered her face and started to pet the small cat. "What am I going to do, Jassy?" She moaned. She wondered again exactly what Jasper had told their dads. Did he give them details? Did he tell them about the dress?

"Oh my God!" She moaned again. She could feel the heat glaring from her face and she wished the floor would open up and swallow her. She'd only wanted to make Jasper happy. She had only wanted to do what Savannah had done, so he wouldn't think that she was a baby, and not worthy of being with him. She felt tears run down her cheeks and into her hair and she welcomed their release. She was in turmoil and had no idea how to proceed from here.

~xo-0-ox~

"Alice, please! Please talk to me and give me the chance to explain." Jasper pleaded, leaving Alice another voice mail. "Please, call me. Please!"

Alice sighed as she listened. She was just not ready to talk to him yet. In fact, she wasn't ready to talk to anyone, yet, not even Emmett, who had been knocking and pleading at her door periodically throughout the afternoon. Her parents had tried a few times, also, but they had finally given up and left her alone. She wished the boys would leave her alone now, too. She laid back on her bed again and absentmindedly stroked Jasmine. Jasmine purred and snuggled into her side and she smiled down at her. No matter what was happening, Jasmine always loved her.

She picked up her phone and decided to answer Jasper so he would leave her alone.

_Jas, _

_I can't talk to you right now._

_Please leave me alone._

_I'll talk to you tomorrow._

_Alice_

Alice hit 'send' and closed her phone. Her stomach rumbled and she cursed softly under her breath. She couldn't risk going downstairs for something to eat. She might run into someone and she just couldn't face anyone, not right now.

Alice jumped as a knock sounded on her door. "Alice?" She heard her mom call. "Are you hungry, sweetheart? I can bring you something to eat."

Alice got up and walked over to the door. "I'll open the door, but I'm not talking to any of the boys." Alice called.

Esme agreed. "I understand, Ali. No one is out here but me. I promise, I won't let any of them bother you if you open the door."

Esme sighed in relief as she heard Alice unlocking the door. She looked over her shoulder where Emmett was peeking around the corner and shook her head. Emmett frowned, but disappeared.

Alice slowly opened the door and peered into the hallway. Esme stood there with a faint smile on her face. "I'm alone, Ali." She promised.

Alice opened the door and motioned for her mom to come in. She quickly locked it behind her and shoved the chair back under the knob. Esme sat on the bed and cleared her throat. "Alice, no one is going to try to get into your room."

Alice raised her chin and looked at her mom. "I don't trust them." She said. "I don't want to talk to any of them tonight."

Esme nodded. "I understand why you feel that way, honey, I do, and I have to tell you that I talked to your dad and Jackson earlier. They handled that scene in the kitchen very badly. I am so sorry that you had to go through that, especially after just coming from seeing Dr. Carter. I cannot believe that they just... blurted it out like that." Esme shook her head and pushed her hair off of her face. "I do have to tell you, Jasper is very upset by the way it was handled, too. Lynnette said that he is beside himself."

Alice stood next to the bed and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "I don't care how Jasper feels. I am done with him."

Esme let out a soft gasp. "Alice! You don't mean that. Jasper has been through a lot today, as well. You cannot blame him for the way your dad and Jackson reacted."

"Well, I can certainly blame him for telling them in the first place!" Alice declared.

"He didn't tell them, Ali." Esme insisted. "He had an appointment with his therapist and they talked about his involvement with that girl he went out with before, Savannah. Apparently, she... sexually assaulted him, Ali, and he confessed that he had... pressured a young girl into... intimacy, as well. Lynnette and Jackson knew that it must be you that he was taking about." Esme gazed up at her, trying to keep her expression neutral. She was very upset that Alice and Jasper had been having sexual contact, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions like her husband and friends had. "He is really hurting, honey. He never expected that they would ambush you before he had the chance to explain."

Alice looked thoughtful and her stomach twisted with guilt. She hadn't given Jasper time to explain, but everyone had started talking and she had been mortified that they knew about her and Jasper's private moments. Alice sat down next to her mom on the bed. She looked over at her, sheepishly. "Mom... Jasper and I... well... we haven't actually..."

Esme watched Alice struggle to tell her about the things that she and Jasper had done. Her face was red and she couldn't meet her eyes. "It's all right, Alice. You don't have to tell me. I am not happy that your relationship has gone... so far... already, but I am partially to blame, so I can hardly judge you kids."

Alice's eyes locked with hers. "Mom, I swear, Jas and I have not... had sex. I am a... virgin." Alice swallowed, her face on fire. "We have... kissed and... touched... each other... some... but we have not gone all the way and... Jasper won't." Alice looked startled and the pink in her cheeks darkened. She lowered her eyes. "I mean, he hasn't tried... he knows we're too young."

Esme expelled the breath she had been unknowingly holding in relief. She didn't know the exact details of what had happened between her daughter and the boy she loved like another son, but she was so happy at Alice's words. "Well, I am relieved that you both used common sense and didn't rush into anything, honey. Love is complicated, at best. There's no reason to rush into something you're not ready for."

Alice looked up at her mom. "How do you know when you're ready, mom?"

Esme looked thoughtful. "Well, I'm not sure, Alice. You should make sure that you are at least of legal age. You should make sure that you use protection, and you should probably make sure that you love the person. I know that's not always a popular notion, but I feel that sex is an extension of love. Being so intimate with another person should be very special."

Alice nodded. "Legal age is eighteen, right?"

Esme nodded. "Yes, but there is no age that is right. I think a person knows when they are ready, and the second two things, to me, should be the most important."

"Being in love and protecting each other?" Alice asked.

"Yes." Esme told her, lovingly brushing the hair off Ali's face. "Love, to me, is most important, because you shouldn't be there in the first place if you aren't in love. Protection is a given, because, unless you both are virgins, you don't know who the other person has been with, and you surely don't want to get pregnant. That's something that should be planned once you are married."

Alice chewed her lip. She didn't know if Jasper could wait until she was eighteen. "What if... what if one person is... old enough, but the other person... isn't?"

Esme gave her a knowing look. "Jasper will wait for you, Ali. He loves you so much. He always has. From the very first day, he took one look at you and he was smitten."

Alice giggled. "Were Rose and Em that way, too?" Alice asked.

Esme rolled her eyes. "Heaven's no!" She exclaimed. "Those two fought like they were going to kill each other. Everything was a battle, who would get something first, who got to pick what, constantly. Then, one day, Emmett decided that Rose was a lady, and he started being nice to her. We were all so shocked." Esme laughed. "I think we were all shocked when we discovered that they were going steady, too, since they never told anyone." She looked at Alice, again. "Kind of like when you and Jas discovered that you liked each other." She leaned sideways into Alice, and Alice giggled again.

"I'll never forget the look on Dad and Jackson's faces when I kissed Jasper at Emmett's baseball game."Alice recalled and they both laughed.

"I was surprised, myself, but your dad and Jackson were blindsided." Esme chuckled, remembering. She turned to Alice with a frown on her face. "Come to think of it, they didn't handle that situation very well, either, did they?" Alice shook her head, remembering how they had left her waiting for almost two days to find out what they had to say on the matter. "Maybe Lynne and I should handle things from now on. What do you think?"

Alice nodded, a happy smile on her face. "You have to do better than those two." She giggled, and her mom gave her a little hug.

"Well, what do you say I get you something to eat, my angel?" Esme asked her.

"Thanks, Mommy. I am pretty hungry." Alice told her.

"Do you want me to bring you something, or do you feel safe venturing down to the kitchen with me?" Esme tried to persuade her.

"I'l come with you, if you want, but I don't want to talk to Daddy or Emmett." Alice said.

"Okay, deal." Esme said, and they both stood up and hugged again. Esme pulled back to look into her daughter's face, stroking her long, dark hair. "I really am sorry, Ali. Sorry that I wasn't here for you like I should've been, and sorry that I let your dad and Jackson ambush you like that."

"It's all right, Mommy. You didn't even know about it when we came home." Alice tried to pacify her.

"I know, but I should've put a stop to it right away when I saw how they were handling things." Esme commented. "Instead, I let them botch it terribly."

"Well, maybe they won't be so quick to say things they aren't willing to back up." Alice declared, angry at her dad and Jackson again.

"Ali, you know they only mean well. Your dad and Jackson blame themselves every time something happens. They feel that they should have known ahead of time what to do about something that hasn't even happened yet. Like they're not human, or something." Esme shook her head. "You'll understand some day, having a family is a lot of responsibility."

"I suppose." Alice reluctantly agreed, not willing to let her dad and Jackson off the hook, yet.

"Come on, let's go get you something to eat." Esme said, holding her hand out to Ali and walking over to the door together. They moved the chair and unlocked the door and jumped in surprise when the door flew open.

"I'm sorry, Ali! I should've stood up for you and Jas. Please don't be mad at me." Emmett hollered as soon as he had the door open.

Alice looked at his pathetic, desperate face and giggled. She just couldn't stay mad at him for long. "Okay, Em. I'm not mad. Just don't take it out on Jas, Okay?"

"I won't, Ali. He and I talked earlier, and I am going to be a great big brother chaperone. I promise." Emmett grinned and puffed out his chest. Alice laughed again and nodded.

"All right, I believe you." She said. "Now, let me get something to eat."

"One more thing, Ali." Emmett said reluctantly. "Will you... talk to Jas... tonight?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "I suppose, Em. After I eat, and in private." Esme grinned at the two of them, they were so cute.

"Well, you know you're not supposed to be alone with him." Emmett taunted. "So... I guess I'll have to check in every few minutes."

Alice groaned. "Yeah... just what I need. A bodyguard."

Esme and Emmett laughed and Alice just shook her head.

~xo-0-ox~

A million butterflies were flying around in Alice's stomach as she waited for Jasper to come over. Her mom had warmed up some homemade soup and crackers and, now that her belly was full, she was following through on her promise to Emmett. She had sent Jasper a text asking him if he felt like talking tonight, and he had text her back so fast that the 'message sent' graphic hadn't even faded from her phone screen yet. He said he was on his way over, so she put her dishes in the sink as she waited.

The back door flew open and Jasper hurled himself through the opening, closing it swiftly behind him. He looked a little dazed and very anxious, but he stopped dead when he spotted her at the sink. They just stared at each other for a minute, and then Alice cleared her throat.

"Ummm.. Hi, Jas. Sorry I wouldn't talk to you... earlier." Alice said softly, watching his face relax. He gave her a small, uncertain smile.

"It's all right... you're talking to me now..." He said it almost like a question.

Alice sighed. "Yes, I am. I should've given you time to explain this afternoon, Jas, but I was so... mortified." Alice shook her head, her face flushing at the memory.

Jasper walked over to her, his expression tender. "I don't blame you, darlin'. If I'd been faced with that ambush, I'd have thought the same thing. You felt betrayed and embarrassed. I would've jumped to the same conclusion." He slowly reached his hand up to her face. When she softly smiled at him, he cupped her cheek in his palm. "I didn't really think my confession would affect you, Ali, or I probably wouldn't have said anything. I was just trying to be honest with the therapist so I can figure out how to control my temper." He shook his head, his eyes never leaving hers. "I wouldn't do or say anything to hurt you on purpose, though I seem to be doing that a lot lately."

Jasper looked down, feeling ashamed, and Alice felt her heart twist. "Jas... Jas..." She said, cupping his face this time to get him to look at her. "I love you. We can work it out."

Jasper smiled lovingly at her and bent down toward her face. Alice's breath caught, as it always did when he looked at her like that, and she leaned up to meet him. Their mouths met in a soft, warm caress, until Alice sighed. Jasper's arms came around her and he pulled her tight against his chest, touching his tongue to the lushness of her lips. She parted them and he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping between them. He groaned low in his throat and saw warning flashes behind his closed eyelids. He tried to acknowledge the warnings, but he couldn't tear himself away from the sweetness of her mouth.

Alice clung to Jasper's shirt like her life depended on it. She knew that, if she let go, she would probably slide to the floor. Her knees were wobbly and her breath was coming in pants. If he wasn't the gentleman she knew him to be, he could have her naked and under him in seconds if he'd wanted, and she'd be powerless to stop him.

Alice was fading into a fog of need when she heard someone clear their throat. Being flung back into the reality of the softly-lit kitchen, Jasper and Alice pulled slowly apart and stared at each other, both of their eyes glittering with love. Then they looked toward the source of the sound to see Emmett leaning against the door frame, grinning like a fool.

"Glad to see you two made up." He gloated, his grin even wider.

"Thanks, Em." Jasper told him. "I appreciate you asking Ali to talk to me tonight. I probably wouldn't have slept a wink."

Alice grinned at Emmett. "Me, neither." She said with a chuckle. She looked back up at Jasper, her happiness vanishing. "Although, I don't suppose I'll sleep any way, thinking about what the dads must think of me." Her face turned crimson again, as her mind conjured up all sorts of images of what they could be thinking.

Jasper put his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes. "Ali, all I told them was that I had persuaded you to let me kiss you, and then I touched you, intimately. I didn't go into any details, okay?"

Alice nodded her head, feeling somewhat relieved. "Okay." She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. "No details?" She had to ask.

Jasper shook his head, still against her forehead. "Nothing. I promise."

"Thank you." She breathed, feeling somewhat relieved. "I couldn't imagine..." She broke off with a shudder, thinking about what Jasper could've told their dads.

They both turned to look at Emmett again as he made his way further into the kitchen. "You can give me some details, if you want. I won't tell Dad." He teased with a grin, then his face twisted into a grimace. "Oh... never mind." He shuddered and Alice and Jasper both chuckled at his discomfort.

"Don't ever give me details. Ugh! Promise me!" Emmett begged, a look of disgust on his face.

"No problem, Em." Jasper laughed. "I'll tell you what, I'll keep mine and Ali's details to myself, and you keep your and Rose's to yourself. Deal?"

Emmett nodded his head, a shudder running through him again at the thought of his baby sister and Jas. "Deal!" He agreed, heading for the refrigerator.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked him.

Emmett gave her a look as though she had lost her mind. "I'm getting a snack! I need to keep my energy up. You guys exhaust me."

Alice and Jasper watched his head disappear into the fridge and turned to look at each other. Jasper's eyes were twinkling with mirth and, when Alice saw them, she let out a little giggle and they both burst out laughing. Jasper hugged Alice to him again and they went over to join Emmett in looking for a snack.


	65. Disorders and Side Effects

**Author's Note: **_If you, or someone you know, suffers from mental illness or symptoms of mental illness, please advice them to get help and to not feel 'ashamed' or 'weak'. Mental illness is a very real disease, just like Diabetes or Asthma, and can usually be treated with medication and therapy. I have taken certain liberties to enhance this story, but have tried to stay true to the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Schizoaffective Disorder. *As always, I do not own any of the characters from Stephanie Meyer's 'Twilight' Saga, I am just playing with them for my, and I hope your, enjoyment. :o) _

65.

Disorders and Side Effects

"Well, there's good news, and there's not so good news." Dr. Kyle Roush told Alice and her parents, who were all sitting in his office at the hospital. "The tests came back negative for any tumors or other physical abnormalities that may have been causing Alice's disturbances, as we expected. I had Isaac Carrington review our findings, as well, and he agrees with the diagnosis of Schizophrenia, but he pointed out some interesting aspects. Ali's symptoms aren't typically consistent for Schizophrenia. There are some symptoms that are more associated with Schizoaffective Disorder. This disorder is very similar to Schizophrenia, hence the name, but there are some major differences, the most important being, that it is usually not permanent. There are episodes of delusion, depression, personality changes, episodes of self-hate or even suicide, and there can even be catatonic episodes, though those aren't as common. So the good news is that Alice likely does not suffer from Schizophrenia. The not-so-good-news is, that she probably does suffer from Schizoaffective Disorder, but it is treatable and hopefully not permanent." Dr. Roush looked at Esme and Alice. "Do you have any questions?"

They both thought for a few minutes and then Alice spoke up. "I have a question." At Dr. Roush's nod, Alice continued. "You said that it's not usually permanent and is treatable, so what can we do to treat it?"

"Well, I am going to prescribe a medication that you will take every morning, Alice. There are a few minor side-affects to watch out for, but they are usually very rare." He looked at Carlisle. "I will need you to check her blood pressure every few days, Carlisle. And keep an eye out for dehydration, restlessness, tremors or muscle stiffness. These are all side-effects of the medication, I will also need Alice to come in once a week for a blood test for the first few months."

"What? Why?" Esme exclaimed, looking shocked.

"Well," Dr. Roush continued. "There is the chance of increased blood sugar and possibly Diabetes with this medication, and I want to make sure that doesn't happen, especially since we don't know anything about Ali's family history." Dr. Roush paused to let things sink in a minute. "Well," He concluded, standing up. "If you have any questions, you know where to find me, I'm usually around here somewhere. Please feel free to get ahold of me any time."

"Thank you so much, Kyle!" Carlisle said, pumping his hand with gratitude.

Alice and Rosalie sat where they were, polite smiles on their faces. Alice didn't know if she should feel relieved, or not. Weekly blood tests, Diabetes, tremors... they all sounded worse than the condition itself. She looked over at her mom and saw her brow creased in concentration. She was biting her lip and Alice didn't think that was a good sign.

Esme met Alice's curious stare and took ahold of her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. She looked over at the men as Dr. Roush wrote on a pad of paper.

Ripping off the top sheet, Dr. Roush handed it to Carlisle. "Here is Ali's prescription. She should take it every morning, as soon as she's able, with a full glass of water or juice." He turned to Alice. "Is that acceptable, Ali?" At her nod, he continued. "I also want you to drink a lot of fluid during the day. Maybe six to eight cups of liquid a day so you don't become dehydrated. That can be very serious, especially for someone so small. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes." Alice answered. "That shouldn't be too hard"

"Good girl." Dr. Roush smiled kindly at her and then turned to Esme. "I'll need to see her one week from tomorrow for an evaluation and blood draw. Fill the prescription today and start it first thing in the morning. Let me know immediately if there are any adverse effects or complications. Carlisle has my private number, don't hesitate to use it if you need to." Esme nodded and thanked him, and Carlisle helped her out of her chair and motioned for Alice to follow.

"Thanks, again, Kyle." Carlisle said as they left his office. "I'll talk to you in a couple days."

"Okay, Carlisle. I'll be here." Kyle Roush said with a laugh as they said their good-byes.

Alice and Esme were quiet on the way to the car. "What's going on, Es?" Carlisle asked. Esme turned thoughtful eyes to his.

"Well, I'm not at all comfortable with a medication that requires weekly blood draws, Love. That seems a little extreme to me and, I don't want to question your judgement, but are you sure that Kyle is the best at this? Maybe we should get a second opinion."

Carlisle shook his head. "I understand you concern, Darling, but I assure you, there is no one better than Kyle at this. Isaac Carrington is also one of the best in the country and they both agreed on this course of treatment. I think we should at least give it a try and see how Ali does." He looked at Alice. "Don't you, punkin?"

"I suppose... though, I'm not too comfortable with weekly blood tests, either." Alice admitted softly.

"Well, it's only temporary, to give them a base line. After that, you'll only need them every few months at most." Carlisle assured her.

"All right, Daddy. It can't be that bad." She grinned at her dad.

"That's my girl." Carlisle grinned back at her and put his arm around Esme. She grinned at Alice, as well, but her eyes still held a touch of worry.

~xo-0-ox~

Alice looked up as she heard a knock at the front door. It opened and Lynnette walked in. "Hey, Angel! How'd the appointment go with Dr. Roush?"

"It went okay." Alice answered her with a small smile, then she wrinkled her nose. "I have to have a blood test every week, though."

Lynnette looked surprised. "Every week?" Alice nodded. "Wow," Lynnette continued. "is that because of medication he's given you?"

"Yes. He said it can raise your blood sugar and maybe even cause Diabetes." Alice told her.

"Hmmmmm... that doesn't sound so good but, if it helps you feel better, I'm sure it's a good thing, right?" Lynnette sat down next to Alice on the couch.

"I guess." Alice agreed, not looking sure at all. Lynnette patted her leg, reassuringly.

"What did your mom say, honey?" Lynnette wondered.

"What did I say about what?" Esme said, walking into the living room. Lynnette and Alice looked up.

"About the medication and its possible side effects." Lynnette informed her. "Weekly blood tests sound pretty serious."

Esme sat down in one of the armchairs to the side of the couch. "Well, Kyle said that it's a precaution and that the side effects are rare, and Carlisle said that the blood tests are so they can get a base line to compare to in the future. The good news is that they don't feel this is a permanent condition."

Lynnette looked surprised. "They don't?" She grinned. "That's wonderful! I thought they said is was Schizophrenia?"

Alice piped up. "They did! But now they think it's Schizophrenia Disorder."

"Actually," Esme broke in. "it's called Schizoaffective Disorder. I Googled it and it's similar, but is most likely temporary. It's usually inherited and can flare up unexpectedly, so Kyle is hoping this is the case with Ali. He also consulted with Isaac Carrington and he agreed, for the most part. She's starting medication in the morning and will continue her therapy with Barbara."

Lynnette looked pleased. "That is so wonderful!" She looked over at Alice sitting next to her. "Oh, Angel, I'm so relieved." She reached over and hugged her tight. "Let's celebrate!" She said, pulling back. "Seriously. Let's get Rose and go out for a girls' night. We haven't done that in ages."

Alice squealed and threw herself back into Lynnette's arms. "That would be so great!" They both looked over at Esme.

"Let's do it!" Esme agreed enthusiastically. Alice jumped up and danced around happily.

"I'll go tell Rose!" Alice hollered and ran out the front door. Esme and Lynnette laughed and then made their plans.

"Rose! Rose!" Alice cried as she barged in the Hales' front door. Rose and Emmett came running out of the kitchen.

"What's wrong, Ali?" Rose asked as Emmett scooped Alice up in his arm. Alice wiggled in his arms, trying to catch her breath.

"We get to go out for a girls' night!" Alice finally blurted out. Rose's concerned expression turned to one of aggravation.

"Damn it, Ali! You gave me a frickin' heart attack." Rose scowled, her hand over her heart.

Emmett growled and lifted Alice over his head. "You ever do that to us again, Shortcakes, I'll tickle-torture you for an hour straight."

Alice giggled. "Sorry! I was just so excited." Emmett spun her around and Alice squealed.

"Emmett! Be careful!" Rose hollered at him. "Remember what happened last time."

"Oh, yeah." Emmett said, lowering Alice carefully to the floor. "So why are you girls going out?"

"To celebrate! I'm not as sick as they thought. I only have to take medicine and keep going to Dr. Carter." Alice told him, breathlessly.

Emmett grinned and scooped her up again. "That's awesome, Short Stuff!" He yelled, spinning her around. Alice giggled and hung on for dear life.

"What the heck is going on?" Edward said, rushing out of the kitchen followed closely by Jasper and Brent.

"Apparently, Alice's test results came back better than expected and us girls are going out to celebrate." Rosalie told them smugly.

Jasper's face lit up and he ran over and stole Alice from out of Emmett's arms. He squeezed her to him and buried his face in her neck. "Oh, darlin', I'm so happy!" He breathed into her hair. Alice wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed contently.

"All right, that's enough, Romeo." Emmett teased Jasper, pulling Alice away from him.

Jasper frowned. "Shut up, Em! You are not chaperoning us now." He tried to grab Alice back and Emmett turned around to keep her away from him. Alice giggled and Rose shook her head.

"Yes, I am!" Emmett taunted. "Anytime our moms and dads aren't around, I'm chaperoning."

Brent laughed at their antics, but Edward looked puzzled. "Chaperoning? What the hell is that about?" He asked.

"Oh yeah. Eddie was over at Bella's when Jas spilled the beans." Emmett snickered. He put Alice down and she chewed on her lip, looking worried.

"It's all right, Ali." Jasper soothed her and put his arm around her, squeezing her to his side.

Edward looked back and forth from Jasper to Emmett. "Spilled what beans?" He asked, suspicion etched on his face.

"Well, our little brother over here has apparently been getting... cozy... with our baby sister." Emmett said, purposely leading Edward to think the wrong thing.

Edward's face twisted, first into disbelief, and then into rage. "What? God damn it! You son-of-a-bitch!" He shoved Jasper and he went flying backwards to the floor, knocking Alice down, as well.

Emmett grabbed Edward, but he fought to get away. "How dare you defile my baby sister! You selfish fucker!"

"I didn't _defile_ her, Edward!" Jasper yelled. "I'm not an idiot." He got up from the floor as Brent helped Alice up.

"You okay, Teensy?" Brent asked as she cast worried eyes between her brothers and Jasper.

"Yes, thank you, Brent." Alice said. He stood next to her as Emmett kept Jasper and Edward apart.

"What does Emmett mean, then?" Edward growled, still poised to attack.

Jasper looked ashamed. "I... I... we... made out... and … "

"And, what?" Edward sneered as he tried to pull away from his brother.

"And I touched her, okay?" Jasper finished quickly.

"She's frickin' thirteen years old! You touched her where?" Edward gritted his teeth and yanked his arm away from Emmett's hold. "Damn it, Jas. You promised me you wouldn't hurt her. You fuckin' liar!"

"Edward, I didn't hurt her and I don't plan to." Jasper told him sternly.

"Yeah? Well what about the bruises you put on her? You explained that off as an accident, now you're telling me you've been touching her? Which means in places you shouldn't be." Edward spit out furiously. "Why can't you just... stay away from her?" He thrashed in Emmett's arms and kicked him in the shin.

"Ow! Damn it, Ed. Knock it off." Emmett told him, squeezing him tight. "Jas is no longer allowed to be alone with Ali – ever. I'm authorized to make sure that doesn't happen."

Jasper rolled his eyes at Emmett, and Emmett grinned at him. He looked over at Alice and felt bad that he had ruined her happy mood. "Sorry I told Edward, Ali."

"It's okay, Em. He had to find out some time, I guess." Alice whispered, her face crimson. She looked at Edward to see his face set in stone. "Edward, everything is fine. Jasper didn't do anything. Okay?"

"I'm just trying to protect you, Ali." Edward insisted, finally twisting out of Emmett's hold. He straightened his clothes and glared at Jasper. "He acts like he owns you. He always has. I'm sick or it."

"At least I treat her like a person, Edward. You've always treated her like she was an inconvenience you had to put up with." Jasper shot back. Edward bristled and took a step toward Jasper, but stopped when Emmett cleared his throat.

"Just... stay away from her. Keep you hands, and everything else, off of her." Edward snarled, looking him up and down in contempt, and slammed out the front door. Everyone looked around at each other except for Alice. She kept her eyes on the floor, trying not to let anyone see the tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, Ali Oop. Edward will get over himself, he always does." Emmett said. She felt his big hand on her shoulder and smiled gratefully up at him.

"I hope so, Em. You know I hate all of this fuss." Emmett nodded and then grinned. "Now, go kiss your man goodbye and get ready for your night out."

Jasper grinned at her, too, and enfolded her in his arms. "Have fun, darlin'." He drawled before covering her mouth with his own. She sighed against his mouth and she felt his lips turn up. She pulled away to see the smug smile on his face and smacked him on the chest.

"Don't look so smug, Mr. Hale." She teased him. "Maybe anyone's kisses would make me sigh that way."

Jasper buried his face into her neck. "Well, no one else better ever find that out." He growled into her neck causing her to giggle again.

"All right! Geeze! You two are like a brush fire. One spark and you go up in flames." Emmett complained. "This job is going to be tougher than I thought, Rosie." He whined to Rose. She rolled her eyes at him and punched him on the shoulder.

Emmett rubbed his shoulder, frowning at Rosalie. "Ow, Rosie! That hurt!" He pouted.

"Shut up, Emmett, you big baby." She said, rolling her eyes again, and walked toward the hallway. Turning back, she said to Alice. "Tell my mom to let me know when you guys are ready to go."

"Okay, Rose. See you in a little bit." Alice told her and pulled out of Jasper's arms with a sweet smile. "Bye, Jas. You want me to call you when we get back?"

He nodded. "Yeah." He whispered, his green eyes glowing. "I'll miss you."

"Miss you, too." She called as she headed for the door. "Bye, Brent. Bye, Em. Love you guys."

"You, too!" The three guys called out, watching her shut the door behind her.

Emmett rolled his eyes and grunted. "Damn, I need some food. This chaperoning shit tires me out."

Jasper laughed and Brent patted Emmett on the back. "Sure, Emmett. Whatever you say."

Emmett grinned and made his way to the kitchen.

~xo-0-ox~

The girls piled into Esme's car and went to get their nails done. Afterward, they went to dinner and then saw a movie. It was a romantic comedy, one the boys would've called a 'chick flick', afterward, they stopped for ice cream on the way home.

Alice looked at the women around her and felt safe, happy and loved. She sighed in pleasure and her mom looked over at her.

"How's it going, Ali?" She asked, a soft smile playing at her lips.

Alice smiled brightly. "It's going great, Mommy." She said as she happily licked her cone of strawberry ice cream. They had talked about everything and anything. They had laughed and teased and even cried a little. All in all, it had been a fantastic evening and Alice couldn't have been happier. She thought about her biological mom and her mood dampened a little. She wondered if she had anyone to have a girls' night with or if she could even afford to go on one.

Alice called Jasper as soon as she got to her room. "Jas? It's Ali."

"Hey, darlin'. How was your girls' night?" Jasper asked her softly.

"It was fun." Alice said, but her heart wasn't in it.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic. Did something happen?" Jasper seemed concerned.

"No, we had a great time. I guess I'm just tired." Alice told him, not wanting him to try to find out why she wasn't as happy as she should've been.

"Awwww, well, sugar, you should get to bed then and I can talk to you in the mornin'."

"Yeah, I probably should. It's been a long day." Alice paused and bit her lip before continuing. "Did you talk to Edward at all tonight?"

"No, he's a stubborn fool, Ali. He wouldn't talk to me at all." He sighed. "Sorry, darlin'. Ya' know, I love Emmett, but sometimes I wish he'd keep his big mouth shut. If he'd given me time, I could've explained what happened to Edward. Now, he won't listen to any of us, even Rose tried to talk to him."

"Well, I'm not surprised, Jas. You know he hates me. He's only using this as an excuse to prove that I don't belong here." Alice told him.

"Alice! What the heck are you talking about?" Jasper wanted to know with a gasp. "Edward was pissed at me because of the way I treated you. If he hated you, he wouldn't care, would he?"

"I don't know, Jas. All I know is that Edward has resented me since the day I came here and I doubt he'll ever change. I truly believe he'd be happy if I lived with my real mom." Alice cringed as she realized she'd said too much. "I mean, you know, the woman who left me at the hospital..."

Jasper made a tsking sound. "Ali, you know that's not true. Edward loves you, he just doesn't show it like me and Em do. He gets his undies all twisted in a bundle and says things he doesn't mean. He'll think it over tonight and be all right tomorrow."

"I suppose so..." Alice said, reluctantly and then changed the subject. "Have you guys been practicing for the Harvest Dance, Jas?"

"Yeah, you should come listen! We've got some new songs and have added a bunch of covers. I think it'll surprise you." Jasper was enthusiastic, then he got quiet. "Ali?" He said softly. "How come you never come and hear us practice any more?"

"I don't know, Jas. I'm sorry." Alice tried to think of a way to cheer him up again. "Maybe I can come over and watch you guys tomorrow?"

"That would be great! If Edward is done acting like a jerk by then, that is." Jasper said with a chuckle.

Alice giggled. "That would be never, if you ask me."

"Ali..." Jasper scolded. "Be nice. Edward is your big brother and he just wants to protect you."

"Yeah, from big, bad Jasper. Isn't it ironic how you have always protected me from him in the past?" Alice asked him. "Now, all of the sudden, he feels the need to protect me from you?"

"Alice..."

"No! Hear me out, Jas. He's never spared me a thought..."

"Alice... that is not true." Jasper interrupted her.

"Yes it is, Jas. He only started considering me when Bella started coming around." Alice insisted.

"Ali... how can you say that? Edward has stuck up for you plenty of times." Jasper sounded shocked that Alice really believed what she was saying.

"Sure, that's why he made sure he told me that my dad wanted to have me put into a hospital."

"He only did that so you would talk to your doctor, darlin'. He was worried about your nightmares."

"No, he wasn't. He never even came into my room when I had them. All he cared about was not getting woke up." Alice's voice was getting quavery and Jasper knew that she was getting upset.

"Honey, please try and relax, okay?" Jasper cajoled her with his sweet voice. "Let's not let Edward upset us and cause us to fight."

"Well, then why are you sticking up for him, Jasper?" Alice asked, her voice pitiful.

"Aww, darlin', I'm not. I'm just trying to make you feel better." Jasper told her, hoping that she would calm down. "I wish I could give you a hug right now."

Alice's voice came out in a purr. "Then why don't you?"

"Uhhh... You know I can't, sugar. I don't want to make things worse." Jasper tried to be reasonable.

"We could meet behind your garage. They'll never know." Alice murmured into the phone.

"Alice, I can't. I promised our dads that I will follow the rules they set up. I don't want them to make it so I can't see you at all."

"Fine." Alice snapped.

"Aw, Ali, come on. Don't be like that. I'm trying to be good." Jasper whined. "Why are you trying to tempt me? You know I can't resist you."

"Whatever. I guess I'll just see you tomorrow." Alice said with a pout. She hated this whole situation. If Jasper hadn't told his counselor their intimate details, they could be together right now.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Jasper asked softly.

Alice sighed. "No, I'm not mad. I just... miss you and I wanted to see you."

"I know." Jasper admitted. "Tomorrow. First thing, okay?"

"Okay." Alice breathed. "Night, Jas."

"Night, darlin. I love you."

"Love you, too, Jas."

Alice hung up the phone. She felt like she was losing her hold on everything. Jasper was sticking up for Edward and wouldn't meet her, she was totally stressed out from worrying about slipping and telling her psychiatrist about her mom, and now, she felt guilty because she had so much, and her mom was struggling so bad.

She wanted to help her, but she didn't know how. She knew the money she had given her wouldn't last very long, but she didn't know what else she could do. She couldn't risk telling her parents, the penalty would be more than she was willing to chance if they should decide that she couldn't spend time with Mary.

Alice went to get ready for bed but doubted that she'd be able to sleep worrying about all the people around her. It was going to be a long night.

~xo-0-ox~

"Why do you think Edward acts that way, Alice?" Dr. Carter asked her.

Alice shook her head. "I don't exactly know." She said. Then she added, "I do think he hates me, though. It think he tries to cover it up, but I can feel it. He wants me gone, only then will he be truly happy."

The doctor looked at Alice with puzzled eyes. "Alice, did you start your medicine at the end of last week?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, I did, but I don't notice any difference."

"Hmmmm..." Barbara Carter made a humming sound as she wrote in her notes. She looked up at Alice's big, wide eyes. "Ali, I don't think this medication is working well for you. I want you to stop it immediately and I will give you a prescription to start tomorrow morning."

"But, I feel fine on the medicine I have now." Alice insisted. "I don't want a change."

"Honey, sometimes we have to change your meds two or three times before we find one that works for you. This new medication should only take a couple days and you should notice an improvement right away. If you don't, please let me know."

"Okay, Dr. Carter. I will." She handed Alice the piece of paper and followed her out of the room.

Esme was reading a magazine in the waiting room. She looked up with a smile as Barbara and Alice came into the room. Her smile turned to a frown when she saw the look on Alice's face. Placing the magazine back on the table, Esme stood up, a questioning look on her face.

"How'd everything go?" She asked Barbara, but watched Alice's face. Alice shrugged and picked up the magazine that her mom had been reading. Esme looked at Barbara and, when Barbara nodded her head in the direction of her office, Esme told Alice she'd be back out in a couple minutes.

Barbara closed the door behind Esme. As the two women got comfortable, Barbara cleared her throat. Before she could say anything, though, Esme blurted out, "It's bad, isn't it?"

Barbara chuckled and shook her head. "No, Esme. It's just a work in progress. I've given Alice a new prescription, her current meds don't seem to be having any effect of her at all. The medication I want to try next should have no effect on the medication that Kyle Roush gave her, but check with him before you fill the prescription, okay?" When Esme nodded, Barbara cleared her throat again. "I don't know how to tell you this, Esme, so I guess I'll just blurt it out. For some reason, Alice thinks that your son, Edward, hates her."

Esme's whole face registered her surprise. "What? Why in the world does she think that?" Esme asked, perplexed.

"Well, it seems that she has always felt that Edward resented her, but recently, she started actually believing that he hates her and wants her gone." Barbara told Esme, wincing at Esme's reaction. "I'm sorry, Esme, I truly am. I didn't realize that Alice felt this way. I was under the impression that their was some rivalry, but I didn't really think it was this serious. She actually doesn't feel as though she belongs in the family, at all. She truly believes that she causes nothing but trouble for everyone in the family, including the Hales."

Barbara watched in silence as Esme's eyes filled with tears and she handed her a tissue. Finally, Esme got control of herself. "I can't believe she told you that." She choked out. "Carlisle and I have never treated her as anything but our daughter."

"I know, and I'm so sorry you had to hear this. I've had to pry it out of her by bits and pieces, so she's never actually come out and admitted it, but she isn't just saying these things for teenage dramatic effect. As for her relationship with Edward, she matter-of-factly stated that Edward hates her, just like she was saying it was raining outside, or that dinner was ready. When I scoffed at her and said that she didn't truly believe that, she looked me right in the eye and confirmed that she did. She didn't seem upset about it, so much as she had just accepted it."

Barbara watched Esme with sympathetic eyes as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks with the tissue. "I... I... don't know what to say..." Esme admitted, giving Barbara a watery smile. "I am just... flabbergasted."

Barbara got up and came out from behind her desk. She perched in the chair next to Esme and put a comforting hand on her arm. "I know, Esme. Give yourself some time to adjust and talk this over with Carlisle before you bring it up to anyone else. Please don't confront either Alice or Edward. Let me work with Alice on this and see how she feels on the new medication before we take this any further, okay?"

Esme nodded her head and she and Barbara both stood up. "You know, if you should ever need to talk to anyone yourself, there is no shame in giving me a call." Barbara offered. "I would be more than happy to put some time aside for us to chat. We could even get out for coffee or lunch."

Esme smiled at Barbara. "Thank you, Barbara! That means so much to me. I appreciate that."

"Any time, Esme. I don't only think of your family in a clinical way. I think of you as part of the hospital family, and of you and Carlisle as personal friends. Please, don't hesitate to ask if you need help, promise?"

Esme promised and the women embraced. Esme thanked her again and they parted.

Barbara sighed as she watched Esme walk out of her office and over to Alice. Sometimes her job really sucked. She felt like she wasn't making any progress with Alice at all, and she hated seeing the toll it was taking on Carlisle and Esme.

~xo-0-ox~

"Mom! You have to let me get these!" Emmett called to Esme as he held up a huge pair of baggie jeans. Esme laughed and shook her head. Emmett was such a goofball sometimes, and she was really grateful for it today. She watched as Rosalie grabbed the gigantic pants out of Emmett's hands and he laughed. He caught Rose in his arms and gave her a hug and she giggled as she picked up a pair of jeans in Emmett's true size.

Esme looked over at Edward where he was looking over clothes for himself. School started in two days and she had brought them to the mall for a few last minute things. Alice sat on a bench by the dressing room and patiently waited for the boys to finish picking out what they wanted. She had already gotten a few things, but she had not really shown any enthusiasm. Esme had invited Jasper to come along, but he had declined saying that he needed to finish up some things at home. She really suspected it was because he and Edward were at odds over Alice again.

Esme wished for the thousandth time that Ali and Jas hadn't gotten together for a few more years. She felt as thought they should forbid them to go together, but she also felt that it was a little late for that now. She felt so guilty for not being there and noticing what was going on. She had always thought that she was a good mother to all of the kids, the Hales included, but she felt like such a failure right now. She sighed as she saw Edward walking toward her. He held two pairs of pants and a few shirts in his arms. She smiled lovingly at him and he grinned as he got near.

"How about these, Mom? Aren't they great?" He asked, enthusiasm apparent in his smile.

"They're perfect, Edward. You should be all set for a while then, huh?" Edward nodded and Esme looked over at Emmett and Rosalie. "How's it going over there, Rose?" She called, grinning as Rosalie turned to her and rolled her eyes.

"Well, the ogre here can't decide between these two shirts, like he really needs either one of them, and he says he's not leaving until he figures it out." Rosalie rolled her eyes again and Esme laughed.

"You know what, Em?" Esme called, still laughing. "Why not just get them both?"

Emmett looked at her and grinned. "Well, I suppose I could do that." He cracked, grinning like an idiot at Rose. Esme couldn't help laughing again. Sometimes she wondered how Rose put up with him. He was always trying to aggravate her and she just calmly took it. She knew that Rosalie always figured out his games, but she put up with them anyway. Those two would make the perfect married couple, Esme thought as she turned back to Edward and Alice.

"Well, let's check out then. I need to get home and get supper started and I'm sure you two would like to spend time with your friends." Esme suggested.

Before Alice could say anything or even stand up, Edward smirked, "Well, I don't know about spending time with her friends, but I know Alice sure would like to get back to Loverboy. It seems they just can't keep their hands off of each other." He glared at Alice and she put her head down, her eyes on the floor.

"Edward!" Esme called, angry that he wouldn't stop taunting Alice. "That's enough. You spend a lot of time with Bella and no one says a word about that. Leave Alice alone."

Edward stared back at his mom. "Well, I'm not spending all my time pawing at her like some people I know. Besides, Bella has enough sense to know when she's being used."

"Edward Cullen!" Esme gasped. "That is enough! Jasper loves Alice and I'll not have you saying things like that any more. You're trying to hurt Alice on purpose."

"No I'm not!" Edward argued. "I'm trying to protect her from him. He acts like he owns Alice and to me, that's not love. Besides, she's thirteen years old, don't you think that's a little young to be hanging on some guy?"

Esme turned crimson at his words. She knew he spoke the truth, but she didn't know how to handle this right now, especially in public. "That's enough, Edward. Get your stuff and get in line. Now." Esme ground out.

She looked over at Emmett and Rosalie again. "Em! Rose! Bring what your getting over here. It's time to go." With that, Esme walked over to the check out line to pay for their things. She was fuming inside and planned on having a nice, long talk with her youngest son. She was not going to put up with his holier-than-thou attitude any more.

~xo-0-ox~

"You make it sound like it's my fault!" Edward raised his voice at his parents. "I didn't do anything wrong. I am the only one who has Alice's best interests in mind." He blurted out, not caring when his parents both winced at his words. "Neither of you thought a thing of just letting Jasper spend all the time he wanted alone with Alice. She's lucky that Jasper is as good of a guy as he is, or she'd be in a worse place right now." Edward continued, not caring if the neighbors heard.

"Edward, some of what you say is true," conceded Carlisle, "but we only have Alice's best interests at heart. I am not going to prevent them from seeing each other at this point. It's a little like closing the barn door after the horse gets out, don't you think?"

Edward looked a little sheepish. "I suppose... but what about Jasper? No one has made him accountable for what he's done."

"I disagree, Edward." Carlisle insisted. "Jackson has made it clear to Jasper what chores he is to do for his punishment, besides his usual ones, and we all agree that he and Ali are not to be alone together any more."

"What do you want from us, Edward?" Esme asked.

"I don't know... exactly." Edward stammered. "All I know is that, Jasper and Alice all too young to be in this intense of a relationship.

"We agree with you, son, we do, but we cannot in good conscience keep the kids apart. Its just not right, especially since the blame lies with us in the first place." Carlisle shook his head. "I just hope that Jasper is the honorable boy that I have always known him to be.


	66. Back to School

**Author's Note: Thank you for your patience with me where this story is concerned. I have been writing some one-shots for 'the Many Faces of Jasper' contest. Please read them and let me know what you think. Voting begins on Nov. 22.**

**You can find the entries at: **

**http:/ www . Fanfiction . Net/ community/ The_Many_Faces_of_Jasper /85910/99/0/1/ (close the spaces) if you're interested. **

**I'm still devoted to Jas and Ali and they will be moving forward with this chapter. Enjoy!**

66.

Back to School

"I don't care, Edward. It sounded off to me." Alice heard Jasper say as she paused in the doorway of the Hales' garage.

"Well, Jasper, I think it sounded fine." Edward sneered. "What do you think, Bella?"

Alice leaned in so she could see Bella's face. She looked very confused and uncomfortable and Alice felt guilt pierce her gut.

"Um... well, I thought it sounded a little... um... " Bella looked desperately at Brent, who came to her rescue.

"Guys, could you please nip this shit?" Brent asked, impatiently. "We're here to practice, not listen to you two snipe at each other." He turned to Edward. "And what's your deal, bro? Putting Bella on the spot is so, not cool. Why would you do that?"

Edward had the decency to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Bella. Brent's right, I shouldn't have dragged you into this."

"Exactly what is _this_, by the way, Edward?" Jasper asked him, gesturing between the two of them. "You've been acting like a jerk. What'd I do to make you so pissed at me?"

Alice watched Edward to see what he would say and suddenly, he looked in her direction, a smirk appearing on his face. "Well, here's the source of our conflict now."

All eyes turned to Alice, Jasper's startled, and then he turned a puzzled expression back toward Edward. "What does Ali have to do with why you're pissed at me?" Jasper asked, then understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, I get it. You're just going to have to deal with it, Ed. I love Ali and it's not going to change."

"Yeah? Well, we'll see about that." Edward smirked, looking back over at Alice with a sneer. "I wonder how long she'll hold your interest once we start high school, Loverboy."

Jasper gritted his teeth and squeezed his hands into fists. "Edward, you're crossing the line. Leave Ali out of it. It's not her fault, it's mine."

Edward walked up to within a foot of Jasper and jabbed him in the chest with his finger. "You're right, it is your fault. Since the day she came here, you've acted like she was _your_ sister... your... _property_. You made sure that she'd always pick you over everyone, even Emmett. What happens when you're gone? Huh? You meet some bimbo in high school, or college... like that Savannah-chick, and it's, 'nice knowing ya', Alice, but I've moved on'." Edward's chest was puffed out in his agitation. Jasper looked at him dumb-founded.

"Is that what this is about? You're jealous... because Alice wants to be with me?" Jasper frowned and his eyes blazed green fire. "I remember her doing everything she could to get your attention when we were little, but you never bothered with her. Hell, you wouldn't even share your precious crayons with her!" Jasper yelled into Edward's face.

"That's not true! I shared everything with her!" Edward yelled back at Jasper. "All my stuff, my house, my friends... even my family! They brought her home to take my real sister's place and they never even cared that my real sister died!" Edward's eyes went wide with shock as Jasper gaped at him. His voice lowered. "It was always, 'Alice this' and 'Alice that', but what about Emily? No one gave her a second thought once Alice came."

Jasper stared at Edward, his mouth hanging open and didn't know what to say. All these years and Edward had never said anything about his real sister. He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and looked over to see that Alice was gone. Sadness filled his heart, he knew that Alice was hurting, but right now, he needed to be here for Edward.

"Ed, man, you know that's not true. My mom said that Emily's death was devastating to everyone, especially your mom. They didn't think that your mom would ever get over it. My mom said that Alice was what finally brought your mom back." Jasper put his hand on Edward's shoulder. "Besides, you know that's not Alice's fault. She was just a little baby who had no one. She and your mom needed each other. You said yourself that your mom was better after Alice came. That she didn't cry any more."

Edward looked thoughtful, a tear running down his cheek. "Yeah, that's true, but I can't help thinking about what she would've been like. If we would've been close, ya' know?" Suddenly, awareness dawned on Edward's face. "Shit..." He said softly looking over his shoulder to where Alice had been. He looked back at Jasper. "I'm an asshole."

Jasper chuckled. "You won't get any disagreement from me."

Edward laughed softly. "Thanks, man." The boys embraced and Bella reached up to wipe her eyes. She heard Brent chuckle and looked over to see him grinning at her.

"Shut up, Brent." She said, grinning. Edward and Jasper looked over at them.

"Sorry you have to put up with our shit, you guys." Jasper told them.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I've been such an... ass." Edward said, looking at the ground.

"It's all right, Ed." Brent said. "Just go make up with your sister so we can rock and roll!"

Edward rolled his eyes and the four of them laughed. Jasper patted Edward on the shoulder as he took a deep breath and said, "Wish me luck." Jasper nodded and Edward squared his shoulders as he disappeared through the door.

~xo-0-ox~

Alice looked up when she heard the soft knock on her door. "If I ignore them, maybe they'll think I'm asleep and leave me alone." She thought, holding her breath.

"Ali?" She heard Edward call through the wood. "Please let me in. I really need to talk to you."

Alice reached up and wiped her eyes. "Go away, Edward." She said in a wavering voice. "I don't think there's anything to talk about."

"Please, Ali. Please talk to me. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm just an... asshole." Edward told her.

Alice got off the bed. "I already know that." She called out as she moved toward the door. "What else do you need to tell me?" She asked him, curious to see what he would say.

"I need to tell you that I do... love you. I do think of you as my... sister, I just... I get... jealous of how close you and Jas have always been." Edward sighed and laid his forehead against the door. "I wish..." He stopped as the door opened. He looked into Alice's small, tear-streaked face. "I'm so sorry, Ali." He whispered, wishing he could stop hurting her.

"What do you wish, Edward?" She asked softly, standing in the small opening of the door.

"I... I wish that you and I... could be... close. Ali. I wish that you would... confide in me and want to... spend time with me... you know, like you do with Jas." He told her, his eyes serious and worried.

"Edward, I have always wanted that." Alice said breathlessly, gulping back tears. "I didn't m-mean to take Emily's p-place... I was just... a... b-baby. The day you told me that you were p-proud... of me for coming up with the... b-band name, and afterward, when you p-praised the posters and... logo I m-made, that was..." Alice couldn't control her voice any more and Edward wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Ali. Can you ever forgive me?" Edward asked, rubbing Alice's back and kissing her hair as she sobbed into his shirt.

Alice nodded and Edward squeezed her tighter. "I love you, Ali." He whispered, holding his baby sister for the first time in a long, long while.

~xo-0-ox~

"That's wonderful, Alice!" Barbara Carter cried when Alice told her how she and Edward had talked. "I am so happy for you, honey. I truly am."

Alice smiled happily and felt good that she was able to open up to Dr. Carter about something.

"How do you feel knowing that Edward resented you for taking his biological sister's place all these years." The therapist asked.

Looking at her like she'd grown another head, Alice wanted to ask her how she thought she felt, but answered politely, instead. "Not very good. It makes me sad that Edward has felt that way and didn't think he could tell anyone."

"That is sad, isn't it?" Dr. Carter asked her. "Do you think that Edward held that in all these years so as not to hurt you?"

Alice shook her head. "I think he did it so he wouldn't hurt his mom." Alice said in a small voice. She looked up to see a puzzled expression on Barbara's face. "Well... _our_ mom, you know what I mean."

Dr. Carter's face cleared. "Yes, I do. You still think that Edward doesn't care about you?"

Alice shook her head. "I think he does... care about me, but I still don't think that he actually wants me around."

"Alice, why do you think that after all he's said to you." The doctor asked, disbelief on her face.

"Well... he apologized for hurting me, but he never said he was happy I was there or that he wanted me around, so I have to assume that he either doesn't want me around, or he doesn't care either way." Alice told Dr. Carter, matter-o-factually.

With a heavy sigh, Barbara Carter noticed that their time was up. "Well, we're out of time for today, Alice, but let's talk some more about how you feel about Edward next time, okay?"

"Sure." Alice said, standing to go. "Whatever you want. Have a good week." She said as she hurried out the door.

~xo-0-ox~

Esme sighed in frustration as she listened to Barbara Carter talk about Alice and Edward.

"I don't understand." She told the doctor. "He always told me that he was happy that Alice was here. Why would he lie to me?"

"Well, he probably didn't want to hurt you, especially after the baby died. He was so young, maybe he thought you'd be mad at him and possibly not love him anymore. At least that's what I've figured since Alice told me about their conversation. I wouldn't know for sure without actually talking to him, but that's a pretty accurate guess, I'm thinking."

Esme nodded, lost in thought. Not only did she have a mentally ill daughter, but she had a resentful, angry son now, as well. Guilt pressed down on her and she felt as if her throat was closing up.

Barbara reached over and patted Esme on the arm. "Are you all right, Esme?" She asked.

Esme nodded, but the tears in her eyes betrayed her lie. Barbara clucked her tongue. "It's all right to feel bad, Esme. The things I'm telling you are a lot to deal with."

Esme gave her a watery chuckle. "You can say that again. How did things get so bad?" Esme wiped her eyes and shook her head. "I always thought that Alice was a little... reserved... but I never realized that my own children were keeping so much from me." She looked imploringly at Barbara. "I always thought that Carlisle and I were... good parents..." Her voice choked and she started to sob.

"You are good parents, Esme. Don't ever think that you're not." Barbara reassured her. "All parents make mistakes. It's human nature. No one is perfect and no one knows how to handle every situation. You do the best that you can and pray that everyone has a happy life. That's all you can do."

Esme smiled at Barbara, her eyes still filled with tears. "Thank you for that, Barbara. I've been feeling so... lost. This situation with Edward just... came at me out of... nowhere. I've been feeling like the worst mother ever."

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Don't feel bad, I'm a psychiatrist and I feel like the worst mother ever just about every day." Both women laughed and Barbara handed Esme a tissue.

~xo-0-ox~

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Oh God! They're sickening." He whined, watching Edward and Alice through the sliding glass door as they talked out on the patio.

"Shut up, Em!" Jasper laughed and smacked him on the arm. "Edward is trying to make it up to Ali for resenting her all these years."

"I know, but they're so... sickening." He groaned. Mimicking Edward, he said, "Oh, Ali, you're the best little sister ever." Then, in a falsetto voice representing Alice, he said, "Oh, Edward, next to Emmett, you're the best big brother ever."

Jasper laughed and hit Emmett on the arm again. "Knock it off, Em." They both laughed and went to see what they could find to eat in the fridge.

"Edward, you don't have to do everything for me. I know you're sorry, I am, too, but, I just want you to be the same way you are with everyone else." Alice said, trying to get Edward to understand that she didn't want to be different.

"But I feel so bad, Ali... guilty. I never meant to hurt you, I... just... didn't want..." Edward stuttered, trying to figure out a way to make Alice understand how he felt.

"Me." Alice said, convinced she knew what Edward planned to say.

"What?" Edward looked startled for a second, then his face cleared. "No! No, Alice. That is not what I was going to say." Edward looked sad and shook his head. "It had nothing to do with you personally. I swear. I just didn't understand how Emily could be replaced, and a small part of me wondered if Emmett and I could be replaced just as easily." Alice looked down and twisted her fingers and Edward put his hand over hers. "Obviously, as I got older, I knew that's not the way it was, but the resentment was already in place."

"Why..." Alice cleared her throat and her cheeks turned pink. "Why did you get so... angry at Jas... for... touching me?"

Edward smiled at Alice's embarrassment and reached up to stroke her cheek. "Ali, you are way too young for you and Jasper to have a... a... physical relationship yet, but I was mostly mad because I don't like the way that Jasper acts like you belong to him. Like he can... touch you... or do anything he wants, and no one is supposed to say anything. It's not right. I suppose some of it is guilt because I haven't been the brother that I should've been, and part of it is jealousy, but I'd like to think that, some of it, is anger that he is taking advantage of your devotion to him." Edward looked deeply into Alice's eyes. "You don't owe him anything, Ali. You can love him, and want to spend time with him, without... letting him... do stuff." Now it was Edward's turn to blush, and Alice tried to hold in her grin. "Laugh all you want, you little... pixie, but you know that I'm telling the truth."

"I know. Jasper got... carried away, and I wanted to... please him... like Savannah did. I know it was wrong, but... " Alice shrugged and looked ashamed. "Thank you, Edward. Thank you for caring enough to want to protect me." Alice blinked rapidly, trying to keep more tears from falling.

"I do want to protect you, Ali. I worry about you a lot, more than you know. I just don't want you to get hurt. I think that Jas is... he has good intentions... but... " Edward ran his hand through his already messy hair in frustration. "I guess I'm just worried that he'll realize how the girls go... crazy for him, and he'll find... someone else." He looked desperate for her to understand and his voice rose. "I don't want him to... I mean, I think you guys could be really happy... I just think he's not going to be able to... you know... control himself." He looked sympathetically at Alice. "We're all so young yet... there's so much to... see and do... Do you know what I mean?"

Alice nodded. "I do. I hope you're wrong, Edward, but, if it happens, I will have you and Emmett to help me through it, right?" She squeezed his hand and gave him a small smile, but inside she was terrified that he could be right. She would never survive if Jasper left her, she knew that as sure as she breathed.

~xo-0-ox~

"I can't believe we start school tomorrow already!" Rosalie said as she, Bella and Alice looked through Ali's closet. "Where did the summer go?"

"I think it was a long summer." Bella said. "I'm kind of excited to go back."

"Yeah, because you want to show Edward off to the other girls." Rose quipped as she pulled a shirt off a hanger.

"That is not true." Bella protested, her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, whatever." Rosalie rolled her eyes and made a face at Alice. Alice giggled and Bella stuck out her tongue at Rose. The three of them started laughing and Bella looked at Alice.

"I bet you can't wait for everyone to see that you and Jas are together." Bella said, grinning. Alice stopped laughing and looked serious. "What?" Bella asked her, her and Rosalie stopped laughing, too.

Alice chewed her lip. "Well, I'm not really sure about that."

"Why not? He's the best-looking boy in school! The other girls are going to be so jealous." Bella told her. "It'll be great payback for how they've treated you."

"That's what I'm worried about." Alice told her. "I'm afraid they'll be even meaner now that I'm going with Jas."

"Ali, to hell with them. They're all stupid cows any way. Like Jas would even think of going with any of them." Rose snorted, pulling more clothes out of the closet.

"What if he did?" Alice said in a small voice, her teeth worrying her lip.

Rose and Bella both looked at her, startled. "What do you mean, 'what if he did'?" Rose asked her. "Did he say something?"

"No. No, he didn't. I just... well, he is really good-looking, and a lot of girls like him. What if he... decides he wants to... see other people..." Alice looked at them, her eyes dark and worried.

"Ali..." Rose scolded her. "don't even think like that. Jas is crazy about you. Come on, you know he is."

Alice looked thoughtful as she glanced down at the floor. "I suppose... I just... wondered." She looked at them again. "What would I do, though, if he did?"

"Well..." Bella started, looking toward Rose for help. "you'd... find someone else, too,... I guess?"

Alice looked from one to the other. "Find someone else?"

"Well, sure. There are lots of guys out there, nice ones, too." Bella told her, warming to her topic. "I believe that there is someone out there for everyone and, if it doesn't work out with Jas, then the one that is truly for you, is out there waiting for you." Bella looked dreamy and had a slight smile on her face.

"That's crap, Bella!" Rosalie snorted, startling both Bella and Alice. "Jasper has always loved Ali, and Ali has always loved Jasper. They are both going to be together forever. Period." She glared at Bella and Bella looked sheepish as she shrugged her shoulders.

"She asked a question and I was just trying to give her an answer." Bella muttered. "Geeze."

"Thanks, Bella." Alice told her, putting her hand on her arm. "I know it'll be all right with Jas, it's just my... insecurity rearing it's ugly head." She laughed and squeezed Bella's arm lightly.

"Has he said anything to you about the Harvest Dance yet?" Rosalie asked Alice. Alice shook her head. "I know he's planning for the two of you to go together, Ali."

Alice kept shaking her head. "No, we can't... the band is playing."

"So? You can still go together, you'll just dance with me and Jessica, instead of Jas." Rose told her.

"Aren't you going with Emmett?" Bella asked Rose.

"Well, yeah, but I'll probably still dance with Ali and Jess. Emmett will be too busy hanging with his home boys." Rosalie rolled her eyes and giggled. "He's such a doofus."

Bella and Alice laughed, as Rose started laying clothes on the bed.

"What about this, Ali?" Rose asked, putting a gauzy teal top over a short denim skirt. "This would look so great for the first day of school."

~xo-0-ox~

Jasper grabbed Ali's hand as they entered the school. He could feel her hand trembling and he grinned down at her. "You're not nervous, are you, darlin'?"

Alice gazed up at him, her eyes dark and luminous. "A little." She murmured.

He gave her hand a little squeeze. "You'll be fine, angel. We have two classes and lunch together, so we'll see each other a lot, and you've got to have other people you know in at least some of your classes."

"Okay." Alice said, worry still evident in her eyes. Jasper laughed. "Come on, darlin'. Let's find our lockers."

Alice breathed a sigh of relief as she walked into her last class of the day. She spotted Bella sitting in the last row of seats and skipped over to take the seat next to her. "How's your day been going, Bells?"

Bella sighed. "All right, I guess. I don't have a single class with Edward." She leaned her chin on her hand.

Alice smiled in sympathy. "At least you have lunch together."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, there is that."

The room got quiet as a tawny-skinned boy with shoulder-length dark hair and wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, walked into the room.

"Oh my God!" Bella gasped. "Who is that?"

Alice shook her head. "I don't know."

"He's gorgeous." Bella breathed, her eyes wide and her cheeks pink. Alice watched him as he scanned the room and dropped into an empty seat half way up the first aisle.

Bella looked at Alice, her eyes still wide, and both girls started to giggle. "If I wasn't totally in love with Edward, I would so tap that." Bella whispered, giggling again.

"Me, too." Alice chirped, her giggles blending with Bella's. Suddenly, the dark boy turned and looked right at them. Both girls got perfectly quiet, then, when he smirked at them, they both burst into giggles again.

The teacher cleared his throat, the boy turned to face the front again, and the girls tried to stifle their laughter.

"At least he didn't give us homework." Bella commented as she and Alice gathered their things at the end of class. Bella looked at the boy in the black T-shirt, whose name they learned was Seth, and Alice smacked her on the arm.

"Bella! You were totally checking out his butt." Alice said in a shocked whisper.

Bella looked defensive. "No I wasn't." She insisted. Alice gave her a questioning look and both girls burst into giggles again.

"You're lucky I don't tell Edward." Alice teased Bella. Bella looked horrified and Alice grinned. "You know I wouldn't." She assured Bella, and both girls started giggling again. Seth walked to the door and turned to look at them and shook his head before walking out. The girls walked out behind him, giggling all the way to their lockers.

"What's so funny?" Jasper asked, walking up behind Alice and Bella. He put his arm around Alice's shoulders and grinned at her when she looked up at him.

"Oh, nothing really." Alice told him. "We've just got a case of the giggles." She looked back over at Bella and they started giggling again. Jasper shook his head and rolled his eyes.

~xo-0-ox~

Alice looked at the clock at the front of the classroom and tapped her pencil against her lip. She was so bored and time was going by so slowly and she wondered if it would ever be lunchtime. She reached down and put a hand to her stomach as it made a low growling sound. She didn't take the time for breakfast and she was starving. A movement in the pocket of her shorts caused her to jump. She slowly reached in and pulled out her phone, careful to keep it under her desk so the teacher wouldn't see. She looked at the screen to see that she had a text from Bella.

_OMG Alli! Seth cut off his hair! _

_Its really short! I can't believe it! _

_C u lunch._

_Bella_

"Crap! Seth cut off his hair?" She and Bella had made watching Seth their favorite thing ever to do in English class. He was so cute and his long, dark hair gave him a dangerous edge. They were both totally in love with their boyfriends, but it was fun to ogle the new boy.

The bell finally rang and Alice jumped up and made for the door. At her locker, she saw Bella running towards her.

"I am so bummed, Ali!" Bella cried, skidding to a stop next to Alice. Alice giggled and Bella burst out laughing. "Well, it looks... not as cute..." She whined, her face lit up with a big grin. Alice giggled again.

"Bella, we are so bad. If Edward and Jas knew... " Alice gasped as Edward appeared next to Bella.

"If Edward and Jas knew what?" He asked, smiling as he looked from Alice to Bella, and back again.

Bella and Alice looked at each other, wide-eyed, before bursting out laughing again. Jasper walked up, a disgusted look on his face.

"These two have had a serious case of the giggles for four days now." He told Edward. "It started the first day of school and hasn't stopped since."

"I thought I'd leave Science a little early so I could meet you at your locker, Bells, but if you're just gonna' carry on with Alice, I'll go into lunch with Jas." Edward pouted, his hazel eyes pleading, and Bella leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

At his grin, she said, "Poor Edward. Are you feeling neglected?" He broke into a full-blown smile.

"A little bit." He admitted, and Jasper shook his head and chuckled.

"I'd puke, but it would ruin my appetite." Alice smacked him in the abdomen and he bent over and grabbed his middle. "Ow! Now, I'm wounded." He grinned, and then Alice hit him in the arm. "Ow! See how she beats me?"

"Oh my God! Would you stop?" Alice laughed as Jasper turned his cocky grin on her. "We promise to stop giggling so much if you two would stop acting like babies." Bella laughed and nodded as Alice closed her locker and they started toward the lunch room.

"Well, it'll be difficult, but I could try." Edward looked at Jasper, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "How about you, Jas?"

Jasper's grin widened and he slung an arm around Ali's shoulders, hauling her up against his side. "I suppose I could try."

Alice and Bella rolled their eyes and giggled again, and Edward started making a crying sound like a baby. "Wah! Wah!" Bella quickly put her hand over his mouth.

"Okay! We stopped already." Bella quipped as the boys cracked up at their antics.

The girls shared a secret smile and then Bella leaned over and whispered into Alice's ear. "There he is, Ali." Alice looked over and saw Seth, his hair shorn, take a seat at one of the lunch tables across the room.

"I didn't know he had lunch with us, did you?" Alice whispered back. Bella shook her head. "His hair doesn't look bad, Bella, just not as... hot." Bella elbowed her and they both giggled. The boys looked over at them and they tried to look innocent, but burst into giggles again. Edward rolled his eyes and continued the conversation they were having about football practice.

Alice and Bella looked up as Brent joined them. He sat across from Alice and gave her a smile. "You girls seen Jess yet today?"

"No, come to think of it, I haven't. Is she all right?" Alice asked him, concern wrinkling her brow.

"I don't know. I haven't seen or talked to her since last night." Brent answered, concern evident on his face. "It's not like her to not at least text me if she wasn't going to be here." Brent looked around the lunchroom like he expected Jessica to appear.

"Maybe she's just busy today, Brent, and we just haven't run into her." Bella suggested. "I don't have her in any of my classes. Do you, Ali?"

"I have her in Art, but it's not until later this afternoon." Alice told them. "I'm sure she's fine, Brent. Maybe she wasn't feeling well this morning and just went back to sleep."

"Yeah, could be, I guess. Now, I'm in school and she doesn't want to text me and get me in trouble." He said, looking thoughtful. Just then, Jessica came into the lunchroom and walked hurriedly over to their table.

"Jess! I thought maybe you were sick, or something." Brent told her when she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"No, I've been really busy trying to get the new section of the school paper set up." Jessica beamed, taking the seat next to Brent.

"The new section?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. We get to have out own section since we're kind of our own student body, you know, separate from the upperclassmen?" Jessica informed them with a grin. "And I, get to run it."

Bella and Alice squealed. "No way! Oh my God! That is so cool, Jess!" Alice told her, lightly bouncing in her seat.

"I'm happy for you, Jess. That sounds so awesome!" Bella said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.

"Thanks, you guys. I am so excited!" Jessica did a little bouncy happy dance in her chair and Brent grinned at her.

"I'm so glad you're happy, Jess." He told her, his eyes glowing. He reached over and gave her a gentle kiss and Bella and Alice started giggling again. Brent pulled back and rolled his eyes.

"Geeze! What is with you girls?" Jasper asked, looking irritated. "Is there such a thing as giggle disease? If so, these two have got a bad case of it."

Alice and Bella looked at each other and burst into giggles again.

"I'm just so happy, Jas. I can't seem to stop smiling." Alice bounced next to Jasper as they walked down the hall together.

Jasper smiled lovingly at her. "Well, I guess it's not so annoying when I know you're so happy." Jasper murmured, his eyes darkening suddenly. Alice's eyes widened when she noticed and looked questioningly at him. "You look really hot today, Ali. When you're really happy, you look even more... enticing." His hand slid from her waist down over her hip.

"Jas..." She said warningly, looking around as he drew her into him.

"It's all right, Ali. I just... hmmmmmm... want to... feel you." He lowered his face into her neck and Alice swallowed nervously. He inhaled her scent and she could feel him against her hip.

"Jas... not here. Please..." Alice whispered frantically.

Jasper lifted his head, his eyes glowing and dazed-looking. He gave her a lazy grin. "Ali... you smell... so good... " He went to kiss her and she turned her head.

"Jas! You're going to get us into trouble. Stop it." She whispered as he nuzzled her cheek and breathed into her ear.

"Okay... meet me later?" He murmured against the soft skin of her neck.

She nodded, trying to pull away from him. He lifted his head again and looked into her eyes. "Promise?" He asked, his face flushed and his eyes glazed with lust.

"I promise, Jas. Now, please... someone is gonna' see... " Alice finally stepped away from him and felt her cheeks burning. She glanced around and froze when she saw Matt glaring at them. He composed himself enough to give her a small smile, but his eyes still looked cold, and she shivered.

"Sorry, darlin'." Jasper said softly, stroking her arm. "You know I just get carried away when I'm with you."

"Who was telling me the other day that they didn't want to break the rules?" Alice demanded. "I wanted to meet you, but you wouldn't. Now, we're in school, where everyone can see, and you wanna'... snuggle me?"

Jasper chuckled darkly. "I wanna' do more than snuggle you, but I'll behave." Suddenly, he looked very serious. "I'm not going to pressure you, Ali. I'm sorry. I got caught up in you for a minute there. I'm good now."

Alice nodded, and started walking down the hall again, Jasper next to her. "Just try to remember where we are, okay? I have enough trouble without being known as a slut, or worse yet, Edward seeing us and getting upset again. I don't think I can handle that right now."

Jasper took her hand and stroked his thumb over her silky skin. "I know, Ali. I'm sorry."

Alice gave him a soft smile. "It's okay, Jas."

~xo-0-ox~

"Ali!" Emmett called as he drove up behind Alice. She was standing at the fence of the football field watching the boys practice.

"Hey, Em!" Alice called, skipping over to his Jeep. "How come you're here already?"

"We stop a little earlier than the Junior Varsity team." He told her. "We get out a half hour before them, so we have that extra 30 minute practice time. You want a lift home?"

"Aren't you taking the boys home?" Alice asked, startled. Emmett shook his head.

"Naw, Rosie is. She's done with poms about the same time they are." Emmett told her.

"Oh! Okay, thanks, Em." Alice got into the Jeep and they sped off.

"So how're things going with the J-man?" Emmett asked.

"Okay." Alice said. "Now that he and Edward aren't fighting any more, it's been pretty peaceful.

"That's good. I feel bad that Ed felt that way all these years, but, hey, I wonder why he never told me about it? I am his brother, after all. I can't believe he didn't at least tell Jas." Emmett shook his head. "That guy can be so pig-headed sometimes. What's so cool about keeping shit like that to yourself?"

"I think he was afraid that Mom would be mad at him and maybe not love him anymore." Alice murmured, looking down at her legs.

"Well, that's bullshit. She loves all of us, even Rose and Jas, all the same. She'd never stop loving one of us just because one of us was a wanker." Emmett told her matter-o-factly, and Alice giggled.

"Em, you have such a way with words." Emmett reached over and ruffled her hair.

"Pipe down, Short Stuff, or I'll put you in the garbage can head first." Emmett teased.

Alice grinned and saluted him."Yes, sir, big guy."

~xo-0-ox~

A commotion downstairs alerted Alice that Edward and Jasper were home. She left her room and glided down the stairs, excited to see Jasper. As she neared the bottom, she heard the boys talking.

"Oh! He was doing it on purpose, all right." She heard Edward say. "Jas couldn't take two steps and he was on him. Even the coach was getting pissed."

"Yeah! His face was so red! He finally benched him." Jasper added. Then Alice heard Emmett.

"I can't believe that. Matt's always been a good guy. I've played baseball with him for a while. You guys know that."

"Yeah, that was before..." Edward started.

"He wants Ali." Jasper said quietly.

"What?" Emmett burst out. "What do you mean 'he wants Ali'?"

"Ever since he saw her at your games this summer, he's been after her." Edward told Emmett. "He even told her that he loves her."

"What the hell is his problem?" Emmett growled. "He knew you and Ali were going out and he still hit on her?" Alice waited for Jasper's answer, but she didn't hear him, so she assumed that he nodded when Emmett continued. "Son of a bitch, you just don't do that, man."

"What would you do if it was you and Rose, Em?" Jasper asked him.

"I'd kick his ass, that's what I'd do." Emmett gritted out.

Jasper and Edward both laughed and Emmett declared, "I'm not kidding. I would. No one messes with my girl."

"Emmett, you can't go around beating guys up because they hit on your girl." Edward said.

"The hell you can't!" Emmett exclaimed. "It's against the guy rules. Friends don't hit a friend's girl, no matter how much they might like 'em. I'm telling you, it ain't done."

"Well, someone needs to tell Matt, then, cuz he ain't read the guy rules." Jasper informed him.

"I guess maybe someone should tell Matt the rules, then, huh?" Emmett chuckled menacingly, and the other two boys joined him.

Alice stood on the stairs, dumfounded. She had never heard Emmett talk like that before. Emmett was always so easy-going and fun. She didn't remember ever hearing of him getting into a fight. She heard a noise and looked up to see Emmett looking at her, Jasper and Edward coming up behind him. They knew she had heard them, she could tell by the look on their faces as she stood there in disbelief.

"Uh... hey, Ali." Edward said, a guilty look on his face. "How was school today?" Alice turned her eyes to him, her mouth still hanging open in shock, but didn't answer him. Then her gaze slid over to Jasper, he was looking at her, trying to gauge her reaction.

"What... where are you guys going?" She finally managed to get out.

"Well, um... we... " Edward stuttered.

"We're going to have a talk with Matt Davidson, Ali. We know you heard us talking." Jasper said. "He kept tackling me in practice today and I want it to stop."

"I don't even... see him at school, Jas." Alice told him, looking at her brothers as well. "I... I don't even... think about him, or anything."

"I don't care, Ali. He's crossed the line." Jasper stated.

"Ali, if we don't put a stop to this now, Matt will just keep it up." Emmett told her. "We're not gonna' hurt him, just... warn him."

Alice looked at Edward but he wouldn't meet her eyes. "I can't believe you guys." Alice muttered, shaking her head. "I never thought you would gang up on someone."

Jasper came to the bottom of the stairs to stand below her. "Ali, look. I don't want to have to look out for him all the time, okay?" He implored her with his eyes to understand. "Every time I tried to make a play at practice, Matt would tackle me. It was obvious he was doing it on purpose."

"Did he say anything about why he was doing it?" Alice asked.

Jasper shook his head. "No, but we all know why."

Alice stood looking down at him. She was up the staircase enough where her head was just taller than his. He was still looking up at her with a determined look on his face. Alice bit her lip and her brow was creased in thought. "What if I talk to him? Tell him that he has to stop... that I'm not interested?"

Edward and Emmett looked at Jasper and Alice returned her gaze to him. He looked at the other boys and shook his head. With a growl, he said, "There is no way I'm letting her go near him."

Emmett clapped him on the back. "Good call, Jas. I wouldn't either."

"Well, let's go, then." Edward called as he opened the front door. "See ya' later, Ali."

Emmett followed Edward out the door, but Jasper stood looking up at Ali to see her reaction.

"I don't like it, Jas." Alice told him softly. "It just isn't right to warn someone off with violence."

Jasper took her hand and pulled her down a few stairs until she was close enough for him to take her in his arms. "I won't let Emmett hurt him, Ali. I promise. I just want him to scare him enough where he'll leave me alone. The coach wants me to play running back, but I can't even get my hands on the ball cuz Matt won't lay off. If I fight him myself, we'll both get kicked off the team. I am not giving up football for Matt Davidson."

Alice clung to his shirt enjoying his warmth as he held her close. She looked up into his eyes, hers so dark with worry, they were almost black. "Promise me, Jas. Don't let Emmett hurt him."

Jasper looked startled. "Do you... care for him, Ali?"

Alice shook her head. "He's always been nice to me and I used to be fond of him, but I am worried about Emmett. He is so close to the end of high school. I don't want his future messed up because of me, Jas."

"All right, I promise, nothing will happen." Jasper murmured, lightly kissing her.

"Jas! Come on!" Emmett called from outside.

"Can I see you when we get back?" Jasper wondered, trying to read her.

Ali nodded. "Be careful, Jas." And with that, he was gone.


	67. Mysteries and Conflict

67.

Conflict and Mysteries

Matt came out when Emmett pulled his Jeep up in front of his house. As the three boys approached him, he looked apprehensive, but held his ground, his hands loose at his sides.

"We want to have a word with you, Davidson." Emmett said, stopping directly in front of him.

"All right, no problem, Em. What can I do for you?" Matt said in a friendly voice, eyeing Jasper every couple of seconds.

"Well," Emmett drawled, nodding toward Jasper. "My boy here, tells me that he couldn't get any practicing done today 'cuz you kept him on the ground most of the time."

"What's wrong with that?" Matt asked, laughing. "That's how you play the game."

"It's more than that, Matt, and you know it. Even the coach knew you were tackling me for no reason." Jasper growled, his hands in fists.

Matt shrugged his shoulders and taunted him. "It's football, Jas. If it's too rough for ya', quit."

Emmett put his hand on Jasper's shoulder, holding him back. "Matt, we've been friends for years. Why the sudden hate on Jas?"

"No reason." Matt shrugged again. "I was just having a little fun."

"Well, if it has anything to do with my baby sister, you can forget it." Emmett told him, knowingly. "Her and Jas are together, and she's not leaving him for you."

"Yeah?" Matt sneered. "Well, did he tell you how he was pawing her in the hallway at school today?"

Emmett looked at Jasper, who had the grace to blush. "I wasn't pawing her, Em. I just... kissed her."

Emmett turned back to Matt, who looked smug. "Not the way I saw it. He had her up against the locker and she was trying to push him away."

"Why don't you mind your own business, Matt?" Jasper snarled at him, bringing his fists up to his chest. "She was not pushing me away. She was reminding me where we were so we wouldn't get in trouble."

"Well, when she gets tired of your caveman ways," Matt continued to taunt him, his sneer turning to a smug grin. "I'll be waiting to show her how she deserves to be treated."

Jasper flew at him and they rolled over and over on the ground. Emmett grabbed onto Jasper before he could get in a good hit, and hauled him to his feet.

"Damn it, Em! Let me go." Jasper hollered, twisting to get out of Emmett's grasp. "I wanna' hit him, just once!"

"No way, Jas." Emmett told him, hanging onto him tight. "You'll get kicked off the team and Ali will be pissed at me for letting you fight."

"Yeah, Jas!" Matt sneered, brushing himself off. "You wouldn't want to get kicked off the team. Your golden boy image would be blown for sure. No girl wants to go out with a loser, no matter how good-lookin' he is.

"Knock it off, Matt." Emmett demanded, glaring at Matt.

Jasper let out a huffing noise and relaxed in Emmett's grip. Emmett let him go and he straightened his shirt. Matt stood there, a look of triumph on his face and Jasper glared at him.

"You're not worth it, Davidson. Whatever is going through that pea-sized brain of yours, it's a fantasy. Ali will never break up with me to go out with you." He looked Matt up and down like he was something nasty on the bottom of his shoe. Then he snarled, his eyes blazing, "You so much as talk to her, Davidson, and I will fucking mess you up. She's mine, and I don't care what I have to do to keep it that way." He saw fear flash across Matt's face, before he turned on his heel and stalked back to Emmett's Jeep. Edward followed quietly behind him, but Emmett hung back.

"Matt, I can't believe you're acting this way, but I'll tell ya', you mess with Jas any more, and I'll beat the shit out of you myself. That's a promise." He gave Matt one last lingering look before turning to head for the Jeep. He shook his head at the way Matt was handling things. He thought that he and his baseball buddies would be friends for life. He and Matt had always been especially close. Now he had to pick sides, and he hated it.

~xo-0-ox~

Alice was sitting on the stairs, her head in her hands, when Rosalie came through the front door. She jumped up, a desperate expression on her face.

"Ali, what is it?" Rose asked her, startled at Alice's obvious agitation. "Is everything all right? I saw Emmett tear out of the driveway."

"Oh, Rose!" Alice wailed. "They're going over to Matt Davidson's house. Jas said he kept tackling him in practice today and they went to warn him off. I think Emmett is going to beat him up!"

"What!" Rose shrieked, a look of fury on her face. "God damn, Emmett! I told Jasper not to tell him. What am I going to do with that boy?" She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Was Matt tackling Jas because of you, Ali? Is that what he said?"

Alice shook her head. "I don't think he said anything, but the boys know that he likes me. I saw him in the hall today right after Jasper was... well... kissing me. He was glaring at Jas."

"Did Jas see him?" Rose asked, her hands on her hips.

"No, so I thought it was okay, but then he kept messing with him at practice." Alice closed her eyes and shook her head. "Why can't boys just act normal? Why are they such... neanderthals?"

She opened her eyes and looked at Rose. Rose shrugged her shoulders. "If I had the answer to that question, Ali, I'd be a multi-millionaire by now."

Rose wanted them to jump in her car and go over to Matt's, but Alice begged her not to. She didn't want to egg the boys on any more than they already were. If she showed up at Matt's, she was afraid that Jasper would think she did like Matt and, worse than that, Matt might think she did, too.

The girls decided to watch a movie while they waited. Alice was obviously a nervous wreck, and Rose didn't want to leave her alone, besides, she was a little anxious herself. If the coach found out that the boys were fighting, they could all get kicked off the team and Emmett's future depended on his athletic prowess. If he couldn't play, he wouldn't be spotted by any college scouts. His grades were good, but they weren't enough to get him into a top college. He had his heart set on playing pro baseball, but fighting with Matt sure wouldn't move him in that direction.

"Ali, it'll be okay." Rose soothed her as they sat on the couch together. Alice was really shook up and Rose was a little worried by her reaction to the boys' violent outburst. Taking ahold of her hand, Rose said, "Here, let's find a movie to watch. Something funny would be good, don't you think?"

Alice nodded and gave Rose a small smile. She couldn't stop thinking about Jasper and Matt fighting. She should be flattered, she knew, but she didn't want this kind of attention. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why Matt was acting this way. She had never encouraged him, she hadn't even seen him since sometime over the summer. When she spotted him in the hallway today, that was the first time she had seen him since school started.

Alice chewed her lip and twisted the hem of her shirt in her fingers. The way things were going, she'd have a hole in her lip and her shirt would be in shreds, but she couldn't just sit here. The not-knowing was driving her crazy.

~xo-0-ox~

The house was quiet except for the low murmur of the television as the girls sat on the couch waiting for the boys. They both jumped and spun around when the front door flew open and the three boys came tumbling in.

"Did you see his face?" Emmett laughed, smacking Jasper on the back. The three boys were laughing and talking excitedly over one another. They walked into the living room and Emmett stopped dead when his eyes landed on Rosalie. He got a worried look on his face and put his hands up as though he was holding her off.

"Now, Rose, honey, we didn't do nothin', I swear." Rosalie was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him, and he knew he was in trouble. He looked over at Ali. She was chewing on her lip with her hands all twisted in front of her, her eyes huge in her pale face. "All we did was talk to him, Ali. We told him to knock off messing with Jas in practice and not to be following you around and shit."

"Em, I haven't even talked to him since baseball ended. He doesn't follow me around." Ali sighed, a blush staining her cheeks. "You have blown this way out of proportion."

"Oh! Out of proportion?" Jasper exclaimed suddenly, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Well, you try practicing with Matt jumping on you every two minutes, Ali! What the hell?" Jasper turned to Emmett. "We should've kicked his ass, Em. Maybe Ali has a soft spot for him after all." He turned back to glare at Alice and Rose pointed at him.

"You knock that off right now, Jasper Logan Hale! You know Alice just doesn't want anyone to get hurt. She is not trying to defend Matt. Quit being an ass." Rose made a huffing noise, spun on her heel and stalked into the kitchen, saying over her shoulder. "I'm going home, Ali. If you want to get away from these jerks, come on over."

Alice looked at the boys and then toward where Rose had disappeared into the kitchen. She heard her go out the back door and looked back at the boys.

"Don't you dare." Jasper growled, a scowl on his face, his hands fisted at his sides. "You promised you'd spend some time with me today."

Alice looked worried, but nodded her head. "Fine, but I don't want to talk about Matt any more."

Jasper walked up to her and Ali took a step back, her face cautious. "Well, we're gonna' talk about him, cuz I am not having my girlfriend stick up for some other guy."

"Come on, Jas." Edward finally spoke up. "Don't take it out on Ali. You know she doesn't have anything to do with Matt. This shit is all in his own head."

Jasper looked at Edward and Emmett over his shoulder. "Yeah, you're right." He looked back at Alice, taking her hand. "It seems like I'm always saying sorry, Ali. I won't talk about Matt any more, just stay away from him, okay?"

Alice was tired of Jasper's mood swings and demands. "What are you afraid of, Jasper? That I'll find out that Matt's way nicer than you? That he treats me better than you do? That he wouldn't treat me like I was his... his... property?" Alice demanded, her hands on her hips and her eyes glaring. "What? Tell me!"

Emmett burst out into donkey-like laughs and Edward snickered behind him. It was about time that their baby sister gave Jas a piece of her mind.

Jasper's eyes went wide, darkening as he stared at her, and Alice took another step back. Her eyes became anxious as she searched his face, but then he broke out into a huge grin. "Whoa! Saucy mouth. Where'd that come from?" He chuckled and turned as Emmett guffawed like Alice's outburst was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. "Shut up, Emmett." Jasper snapped, but his eyes twinkled and his lips were still in a half grin. He grabbed Alice's arm and hauled her toward the stairs. "Let's go talk in private."

Emmett moved in front of Jasper, stopping him in his tracks. "And where do you think you're going, young man?" Emmett chortled. Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Knock it off, Em. I want to talk to Ali in private about this whole thing." Jasper told him, trying to pull Alice around Emmett.

"Good try, J-Man!" Emmett chuckled. "No private anything for you and Ali." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and planted his feet apart. "I am chaperoning and there is no way you are taking Ali up to her room."

"Emmett, cut it out, man! I'm serious." Jasper complained, still trying to get past him. "Ali and I have to figure out how we're going to handle this thing with Matt."

Emmett stood in place, shaking his head, Edward still laughing behind him. Jasper scowled at him and ran his hand through his hair.

"Fine!" Jasper growled. "I'll take her in the kitchen where you can still keep an eye on us. How's that?" Jasper gritted out, clearly aggravated.

Emmett grinned, enjoying Jasper's annoyance way too much. "That meets with my approval, Jazzy." Jasper rolled his eyes again and turned toward the kitchen. He still gripped Alice's arm and looked into her face. She was obviously upset and she pointedly looked down at his hand on her arm. Jasper had the wisdom to look ashamed and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry again, darlin'." He said smoothly, letting go of her arm. "Would you come into the kitchen with me so we can talk? Please?"

Alice nodded, her face impassive as she followed behind him. She heard Emmett and Edward laughing as they made their way into the kitchen and she watched Jasper with wary eyes. She knew he didn't want to talk about Matt. She had seen the lust in his eyes when she'd mouthed back to him, and she stayed way out of his reach.

"Hey, sweetheart, can I have a hug? I missed you this afternoon." Jasper tried to sweet-talk her. He had a heart-stopping smile on his face, but his eyes were dark and glowing. Alice knew that look and she wasn't going anywhere near him.

"I thought you wanted to talk about Matt?" She asked, staying on the opposite side of the table. Jasper stood over by the counter and watched her, accessing her mood.

"Well, I do, but only because I worry about him harassing you, sugar." Jasper told her, trying to look sincere. "He's just jealous of how much we love each other."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Jasper Hale! I am not a stupid little kid any more. I know darn well that you want to... molest me, and you are using talking about Matt as a way to get me alone."

He gave her puppy dog eyes and she sighed. "That's not going to work, Jas."

He stuck out his bottom lip and took a step in her direction. "But, Ali... don't you love me any more?" He blinked at her and pouted, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Jasper, you can stop now." Alice sighed again, trying not to smile.

He made his way over to her, his expression never changing, and she slid away and started to giggle. She hid behind a chair and he stalked her around the table. Her giggles made her breathless, but she couldn't stop. "Jas.. per... st-stop... it!" She choked out, giggling uncontrollably. She screamed as he jumped over the table and grabbed her.

"Now, I've got you, my pretty." Jasper said in a wicked voice, grinning from ear to ear. He leaned down to kiss her, and Alice turned her face away. "Alice..." He whined, pouting. "Come on."

Alice giggled some more and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He smiled and kissed her back, but their playing had softened his lust.

He leaned his forehead against Alice's and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Alice. Please don't leave me for Matt." He pleaded, his eyes serious and intent.

Alice chuckled and Jasper frowned. "How in the world can you be so insecure? I just don't get it." Alice shook her head. "You're the best-looking guy at school, you're smart and talented, and I love you. I don't even see or talk to Matt."

"Okay, I know you don't, I just... worry." Jasper told her, a frown on his handsome face.

Alice smiled. "Well, stop." She quipped and leaned forward to kiss him again. When she pulled back, his face lit up in a cocky smile.

"You really think I'm the best-looking guy at school?" He asked, staring into her eyes. She sighed and nodded. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her with all of the love he had. He only pulled back when they both heard hollering from the living room. He grinned at Alice again and rolled his eyes, Alice giggling at his antics.

"Okay, Lover Boy, that's enough _talking_." Emmett's loud voice called, and he and Edward could be heard cracking up.

"What a couple of idiots." Jasper stated, still grinning.

Alice giggled again. "Hey! Those are my brothers you're talking about."

Jasper looked at her, trying to keep a straight face. "I know... good thing you're adopted."

They both burst out laughing. "What's going on in there?" Emmett yelled from the other room.

"Nothing, Emmett!" Alice yelled back, still laughing.

~xo-0-ox~

"Did you find out why he wasn't in class yesterday?" Alice whispered to Bella as they took their seats at their regular table in the cafeteria.

"No, I haven't seen him yet today, either." Bella said, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of her and Alice's obsession.

Alice bounced a couple times in her seat. "There he is!" She whispered excitedly, her eyes sparkling. Alice clapped her hands, as they put their heads close together and giggled.

Suddenly, Bella sat up and nudged Alice with her elbow. Alice looked to see Edward and Jasper approaching the table, Jasper with a suspicious look on his face.

"What's up?" He asked, watching Alice intently.

"Uh... nothing much." Bella answered. "How about with you?"

He glanced over at Bella, before returning his eyes to Alice. "Nothin', just hoping I don't have any trouble at practice today."

"Yeah, we saw Matt just now and he was giving Jas the evil eye." Edward told them.

Bella looked at Alice and her eyes moved to see, not only Jasper still watching her closely, but Edward, as well. "What?" She asked, holding her hands out. "I haven't even seen Matt today."

Jasper relaxed and glanced quickly at Edward, some kind of silent message passing between them. Alice looked back over at Bella and she raised her eyebrows at her. Alice shrugged, her face confused.

The boys started to eat and they made small talk until Brent and Jessica came bounding over to the table. Jessica was fairly dancing and Brent's eyes glowed with excitement. "What's up?" Jasper asked him.

"I just heard that the Harvest Dance is sold out!" Brent told them, his whole face lit up. "They are debating whether they should print out more tickets, or if it would be against code violations."

Edward, Bella, Jasper and Brent all started talking about the dance, while Jessica asked Alice how things were going.

Alice couldn't hide the look of disappointment on her face, but she smiled bravely and told Jessica that everything was fine. Jessica gave her a questioning look, but decided to let it go for now, Alice would tell her when she was ready. An outburst from Brent caused both girls to look toward the boys and Bella.

"I know! Man!" Brent was saying. "She looks fine, but I heard she's a man-eater, whatever that is." All three boys burst out laughing and Bella smirked as she cast a look at Alice. Alice looked over to see who the boys were talking about and spotted Mara, the girl who had hit on Jasper at the State Fair over the summer. She was standing with Kristy Justen at a table across the cafeteria, looking down at Seth.

Alice looked back at Bella and raised her eyebrows. Bella shrugged and gave her a knowing look. Maybe Seth and Mara were an item, she sure seemed to be talking to him like she knew him really well.

"Well, all I know is," Jasper was saying. "when she came on to me at the State Fair, I couldn't get away from her. She's in my Math and English class, but she seems to have lost interest, thank God."

Edward and Brent nodded as they watched her and Jasper glanced over at Alice to find her watching him. He gave her one of his cute grins, but she thought she saw something in it that made her feel uneasy. Her stomach did a queer little somersault and she almost felt as though she were going to be ill. She put her hand over her mouth, jumped up and ran for the bathroom.

Alice just made it into the bathroom before emptying the contents of her stomach. She felt better afterwards, but the uneasy feeling wouldn't leave her. She washed up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was paler than usual and her eyes looked dark and glassy.

"Why hasn't Jasper asked me to go to the Harvest Dance with him?" Alice thought, her stomach giving a last little quiver. Maybe he didn't want to go with her. Maybe he just wanted to hang out with the band at the dance. Alice felt the room pitch suddenly as a horrible thought hit her. Maybe he wanted to go with someone else but didn't have the nerve to tell her.

Alice groaned and put her hand on her gurgling stomach. She hated when she got upset like this over nothing. No one had said a word about the dance and Rosalie said that Jasper just assumed they were going together. She didn't like that he took advantage of her, but she always let him get away with it. Just once, she'd like him to ask her about things like they were a normal couple going steady and not like she belonged to him.

Alice dried off her hands and patted her face before leaving the bathroom. Maybe she'd see if she could slip outside real quick for some fresh air. She almost collided with Jasper as she went through the door.

"Oh! Jasper!" Alice cried, her hand going to her chest. "You scared me."

Jasper scowled at her. "Did you think I wouldn't be waiting for you?" He asked, then his face became an expression of concern. He cradled her face in his hands as he questioned her. "Alice, are you all right? Have you been feeling ill? Bella said you seemed fine earlier."

"I'm fine, Jas. Really." Alice looked earnestly into his anxious eyes. "I just got queasy when I smelled something gross. That's all." She smiled and thanked him for being worried about her, thinking all the while about how stupid she was being. Of course Jasper was concerned for her. He loved her and had every intention of taking her to the dance. Didn't he?

~xo-0-ox~

Bella walked quickly to her seat when she saw that Alice was already seated. "Ali! I was so worried about you." She cried as she plopped into her seat. "What happened at lunch?"

"It's okay, Bella. I just felt sick for a few minutes. I'm fine, now." Alice tried to reassure her.

"Well, you seemed okay, but then you went real white and ran from the room. I started to go after you, but Jasper told me he would." Bella said, worry still on her face. "You sure you're okay?"

Alice sighed. "I'm okay." She smiled and changed the subject. "So, do you think Seth will be in class today?"

Bella grinned. "I hope so. It was so boring without him yesterday."

Both girls giggled, but Bella stopped suddenly and her eyes went a little wide. Alice swung around to look toward the front of the room and saw Seth approaching his usual chair. She let out a little gasp when she saw that his hair was unchanged. The girls looked at each other, their mouths hanging open and Alice could've sworn that Seth smirked at them.

"How is that even possible?" Alice asked a perplexed Bella. "We just saw him in the lunchroom with short hair. Now his hair is long again?" Bella continued to look at her, but her mind was buzzing with possibilities.

"He's got to be wearing a wig." Bella finally proclaimed. Alice giggled and quickly covered her mouth.

"Bella, boys like Seth do not wear wigs." She whispered, a giggle still in her voice. She looked over at Seth again. Something niggled at her mind, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She kept staring at his back trying to figure out what she felt should be obvious, when she heard her name called. Her eyes flew to the teacher's as everyone in the room turned to stare at her. Her face went beet red and her eyes connected with Seth's as he faced her, his smirk firmly in place.

"Ahhh... I'm s-sorry, Mr. H-h-huber. I didn't hear-r-r the ques-tion." Alice stuttered out, the other students laughing at her embarrassment.

"Well, Miss Cullen, maybe you should pay attention instead of conversing with Miss Swan. If the two of you cannot stop disrupting my class, perhaps you can sit apart from now on? Hmmmmm?" Mr. Huber asked. Alice, her face on fire, nodded and babbled an apology. She glanced over at Bella to see that her face was red now, too. She paid attention to the lecture for the rest of class and, when the bell rang, she mumbled a good-bye to Bella, and shot out of the door.

Alice went to her locker and laid her forehead against the cold metal. God! She had been so embarrassed in front of Seth. He wasn't as handsome as Jasper, but there was something about him that caught her interest. Just then, she felt someone behind her and turned, expecting Jasper. Her heart almost slammed through her chest when she looked up to see Seth standing there.

His Face was expressionless, but his dark eyes glittered and she saw the corner of his mouth trying to quirk up. "So, Angel Face, you figure it out, yet?" He asked her in a deep, smooth voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Alice just continued to gape at him as he barked out a laugh and walked away. Her eyes followed him as she felt her face heat up again. "Damn it! Why was she always a bumbling idiot around him?"

"What the hell was that about?" A snarling voice caught her unaware. Alice jumped guiltily, almost dropping her books, and turned to face Jasper.

"Oh... n-nothing. We have... h-history together and... I-I forgot to... he was... ahhhh... " Alice stuttered, scrambling to come up with something, but her mind wouldn't work.

"Who the fuck was that, Alice?" Jasper growled, watching her face intently. "Was he hitting on you?"

Alice shook her head, her mind still numb. "N-no, Jas. I t-told you... we have..."

"I know. You have history together." Jasper snapped. "Big fuckin' deal. That doesn't mean anything to me, Ali." Jasper put his arm around her and led her down the hall to an empty doorway. He backed her against the door and bent down to look into her eyes. "Was he hitting on you, Alice? Tell me the truth. Now." He said sternly.

Alice shook her head again. "No, Jas, he wasn't. I s-s-swear." Her eyes were wide and she felt like she couldn't get enough air. "He's just a guy from my c-class. He's n-new this y-year."

Jasper stood straight, his face relaxing. "All right, Ali. Please, don't lie to me, okay?" His voice was normal and his face calm. He reached out and stroked her hair. "I won't be mad at you, I just want you to tell me if some guy starts hitting on you."

"Jasper, just because a guy talks to me, it doesn't mean he's hitting on me." Alice shook her head and let out a small chuckle. "I'm not that intriguing, as you well know."

He cupped her chin in his hand. "You are to me." He said. "You just don't see it. You're always missing what others see in you." Jasper looked around and then back down at her. "I bet there's ten guys within hearing distance right now that would go out with you if they could." Alice shook her head, her eyes never leaving his. Jasper let out a little laugh. "I probably shouldn't be telling you that. The competition is fierce enough, but I hate that you don't get it, Ali. You're beautiful, darlin', and the sweetest, most caring person I know."

Alice smiled her thanks and stretched on her toes to place a kiss on Jasper's lips. He started to deepen the kiss and pull her against him, but she put her hand against his chest and pushed away. "Not here, Jas." She warned. "Our parents are mad enough at us already, we don't need the school calling them, too."

"Okay. You're right. Sorry." He grinned. "I say that way too much, huh?"

Alice giggled and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Jas, you do."

Jasper reached out and took her hand. "I don't mean to be such a jerk, Ali. I really don't. I just can't imagine losing you." Jasper looked down at the ground, his fingers playing with her hand.

Alice watched him until he looked up at her. "Jas? Why haven't you asked me to the... H-harvest Dance? Please, will you tell me the... truth?" Alice asked, her voice a whisper. It was her turn to look down, as she dreaded his answer.

"Alice?" He nudged her chin with their connected hands. Her eyes met his and she saw confusion in his. "What are you talking about? Aren't we going together?"

Alice searched his eyes for any sign that he was lying or hiding something. Satisfied that she was just being silly, she smiled. "I hoped we were. You never said anything for sure and... R-rose asked me... well, told me... that you wanted to... but I..." She looked at him helplessly and he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm so sorry, Alice. You're right, I should've asked you." He drew back to look at her face. "I assumed... we'd go, but I should've asked." He looked at her affectionately. "Miss Cullen, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Harvest Dance? Please?" He grinned at her and her heart melted. She nodded, a huge grin on her face and wrapped her arms around him. He chuckled and kissed her hair again. "I'm glad that's settled. You do know the tickets are sold out, right?"

Alice looked up at him, a scowl on her face and he laughed. "It's a good thing I'm with the band, huh?"

Alice shook her head. "Jasper, sometimes I just want to have Emmett beat you."

Jasper let out a shout of laughter. "Ha! Like he could." He joked, circling Alice with his arm and leading her back to her locker.


	68. What About Seth?

**I hope you all enjoyed the Holidays and had a Happy New Year! I know it's been a while since I updated but, as the Mom in the family, I am in charge of getting ready for Christmas. (Of doing all the work, that is!) That doesn't give me much time to write, so I hope you think this chapter is worth the wait. ;o)**

**Also, I wanted to respond to an anonymous review I received that included a few negative comments. I appreciate the fact that the writer left an honest review, but I can't respond if I don't know who left it. I agree with many points that the reviewer made, especially their ages, but I do have to say, that everything that has happened, has happened for a reason. As the story progresses, the events will make sense and, though you may not always like what is happening, what makes a story interesting is the drama. The ups and downs, the events that shape the characters and make them who they are. This said, I hope that each and every one of you will always feel free to leave an honest review, or to contact me if you have any questions, comments or ideas. I always appreciate anything a reader has to say and encourage you to say it. Any feedback will only make me a better writer, nothing wrong with that! **

**Also, xx Emma-Louise xx, thank you for defending me, and My Everything, so vehemently! I appreciate it more than you'll ever know!**

68.

What About Seth?

Alice shivered as she put her books in her locker. She hadn't brought a sweater to school, and she was freezing. How had it changed from summer to fall so quickly? Five days ago, it had been in the 70's. Today the high was only fifty-five, and she was not prepared.

"Hey, Angel face. Cold?" A soft, gruff voice whispered in her ear. Alice whipped around, her heart in her throat. "Hey! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Seth said, taking a step back at the look on Alice's face.

"No! No, it's okay. Really." Alice told him, her hand over her heart. "You just startled me." Her eyes slid around the hallway and back to Seth. His light brown eyes were looking at her intently, and she grinned. "I finally figured it out." She chirped, her eyes lit up. "I can't believe I was so stupid. Of course you're twins. Right?"

"It took you long enough." Seth laughed, shaking his head. Alice put her hand on her hip, a look of mock indignation on her face.

"Hey!" Then she grinned, again. "I'm Alice, by the way. How did you even know that I wondered about you?" Alice asked, perplexed.

Seth grinned even bigger. "Oh, I don't know." He made giggling noises and hid behind his hand like a girl telling secrets. "It wasn't because of you girls giggling and looking at me all the time. Not at all." He laughed again and Alice joined him. She gave him a light slap on the wrist.

"Hey, we aren't that bad." She insisted, which caused Seth to roll his eyes. She smacked him again. "We aren't!" She insisted with another laugh. Suddenly her heart stopped and her eyes went wide as she heard a throat clear behind her. She slowly turned to see Jasper scowling, his eyes intent on Seth. Seth watched him curiously, his eyes friendly but cautious.

"Hi, Jas." Alice greeted him. "Um... this is Seth." She tried to keep her voice steady, but her heart was beating hard against her chest. "Seth, this is my b-boyfriend, J-Jasper."

Seth reached out his hand to shake and Jasper did the same. "Well, Jasper, it's nice to meet you. I saw you on the football field the other day. You're an awesome player."

Jasper smiled. "Thanks, Seth."

"My brother, Zac, is on the team, too." Seth added, and Jasper smiled in pleasure.

"Of course! He's great! You guys just moved here from California, huh?" Jasper asked. The boys chatted for a couple minutes and then Seth said his good-byes. "See ya' in History, Alice. Jasper, great to meet you. See you around."

"Yeah! You, too, Seth!" Jasper called and turned, smiling to Alice. "Nice guy." He told her.

Alice nodded, a hesitant smile on her face. "Yeah, he is." She said, quietly, watching Jasper for any reaction.

"Well, love, you going to lunch?" Jasper asked, smiling down at her. Alice nodded again, and Jasper put his hand on her arm. "Alice!" He exclaimed. "You're freezing." He frowned at her. "Didn't you bring a sweater?"

"No. I didn't know it was going to be this cold." Alice said, rubbing her arm.

"Damn it, Ali..." Jasper started, but turned when he saw someone walk up next to him.

"Hey, Alice, I almost forgot, if you want to borrow my hoodie, just give it to me after History." Seth said as he held out a black hoodie.

Alice glanced at Jasper as she slowly put her hand out to take the jacket from Seth. Jasper was staring at her, his face devoid of expression, his eyes glittering. "Uh... thanks, Seth."

"No problem." Seth said. He clapped Jasper on the shoulder. "See you both later." And he was gone. Alice stood frozen as she waited for Jasper to say something.

Jasper sighed. "Well, put it on so we can go to lunch." He snapped, taking her purse so she could slip the hoodie on. Alice slid her arms in and pulled it around her. It was huge on her and covered her down just past her knees. She reached out to take her purse back and her eyes flew up to Jasper's in alarm when he jerked it just out of her reach.

"Bring a sweater," He growled, handing her her purse, his eyes raking down her. "Or borrow my jacket, from now on." He settled his arm around her and led her to the lunch room. Alice chewed her lip. She wasn't sure if she was in trouble, or not, but she knew she better curb her friendship with Seth if she wanted to keep the peace.

~xo-0-ox~

"I finally figured it out, Bella!" Alice laughed as she plopped down next to Bella in the lunchroom.

Bella looked at her in confusion. "Figured what out, Ali?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Seth!" At Bella's look of understanding and then excitement, Alice nodded. "They're twins!" She exclaimed.

Bella's eyes widened and then it was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Duh!" Bella said, smacking her hand to the side of her head. "It's so obvious! Why the heck didn't we think of that sooner."

Alice grinned. "I know, right?" She giggled. "If you think about it, they didn't even ever have the same shirt on! How could we not notice that?"

"Cuz he's... they're... so gorgeous!" Bella laughed. "Wow! Two of them?" The girls put they're heads together, giggling and glanced, coyly over at the short-haired Seth.

"His name is Zac. He's on the football team." Alice told her. Before Bella could comment, Edward and Jasper reached the table. Jasper handed Alice a sandwich.

"What drama's going on, now?" Jasper asked, chuckling as he slid into the chair next to Alice. Alice looked up at him from under her lashes, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Oh... nothing." She said, vaguely, and Jasper rolled his eyes and looked up at Edward who was watching both girls suspiciously. Both girls looked up at him, their eyes wide in pretend innocence, and he snorted.

"Well, whatever you two are up to, it's getting really old. Could we just stop with the cackling now? I mean, really? It's as annoying as hell." Edward complained, looking down his nose at them.

Chocolaty brown eyes met midnight blue ones in disbelief, two sets of soft pink lips forming an 'O'. Jasper snickered, breaking the spell and both girls looked at Edward in distain.

"You know what, Edward?" Bella asked coldly. "You're a selfish, jerk." Now it was Edward's turn to look at Jasper in disbelief. "Who do you think you are, talking to us like that? We were sitting here first. If you don't like it, you're welcome to sit somewhere else." Bella kept her cold eyes on him until she heard Alice giggle next to her. She glanced at her and saw her grin. Reaching up, Bella slapped Alice's hand.

"High five, Girlfriend!" Alice squealed in admiration, as they giggled again. Jasper watched them with amusement. Alice's happy expression dimmed as her eyes slid to Jasper. She smiled when she saw his amused face, and he reached over and squeezed her hand.

Edward sat down, frowning at Bella. "I'm sorry, Bella, it's just that you two have been giggling every day, non-stop, for the past week. It's grating on my nerves."

"Well, like I said, no one is making you sit here, Edward." Bella reached over and snatched her salad off of Edward's tray and began to eat. Edward mumbled beneath his breath and attacked his sandwich, trying to ignore Jasper's soft snort of amusement.

Bella glanced up at Jasper, and he saw that her eyes were sparkling, and he snorted again. Next to him, the girls burst out laughing and Edward sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He let out a huffing noise and glared at the three of them.

Bella cleared her throat. "Oh, Edward, just eat your lunch." She told him, her grin stretching over her pretty face, and Edward couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. He picked up his sandwich again and Jasper wisely changed the subject.

A while later, as they left the lunchroom, Jasper said, "Ali, can I talk to you for a minute?" Alice paused, her stomach lurching, and looked up at him, trying to read his mood.

"Okay, Jas. What's up?" She asked him, trying to appear nonchalant. Jasper cleared his throat, as though he wasn't sure what to say, and Alice had that feeling of dread again. Her stomach jolted slightly and she prayed that she wouldn't get sick.

"Well, Ali... first, I just want you to know that I'm not mad." Jasper told her matter-of-factly. "Second, if you decided that you... liked... someone else, you'd tell me... wouldn't you?" He looked so vulnerable that Alice's heart turned over in her chest.

"Jasper..." She whispered, reaching up to stroke his face. "I don't... I never... "

"I know, Ali." Jasper interrupted, then he continued, softly. "Hypothetically. If there was, would you tell me?"

Alice searched his face, her hand still on his cheek. "Of course, Jas. I would tell you. It would be really hard, because I would never want to hurt you, but, yes, I would."

Jasper reached up and covered her hand with his own, his anxious eyes intent on her face. "Okay, thank you." He sighed, then he looked thoughtful for a second before continuing. "I know we're really young, but I want you to know that I really do love you. I can't see myself with anyone else... ever... but, if that ever changes, I want us to be able to be honest with each other, okay?"

Alice felt the churning in her stomach getting worse, but she smiled bravely and nodded her head. "Okay, Jas. I will always be honest with you. I admit, you scare me, sometimes, but I wouldn't keep something like that from you."

Jasper lowered his forehead to hers and looked up into her eyes, his own eyes filled with regret. "I'm so sorry, Ali. I don't mean to scare you. I don't know why I get so mad." He let out a sigh, then he grinned. "I did good with Seth, though, didn't I?"

Alice laughed. He looked like a proud little boy with his eyes all alight and that silly grin on his face. "Yes, Jasper, you did good." Alice chuckled, then smiled tenderly at him. "You don't have anything to worry about, though. Seriously. I am not interested in Seth, or anyone else."

Jasper kissed her on the nose and straightened. "I'm so happy to hear that. I try so hard not to get jealous, but you're so... perfect... and every guy in this school knows it."

Alice giggled and covered her mouth with her hand at Jasper's frown. "Why are you laughing." He demanded.

"Oh, Jasper. I'm not perfect." Alice rolled her eyes and giggled again. "You're so silly."

"Alice Cullen, you are perfect and you don't even realize it." Jasper said fiercely. "I suppose that's what makes you so perfect, you're beautiful, inside and out. If you realized how beautiful you really are, you'd probably be really hard to put up with." He grinned as he bent down to whisper in her ear. "Wanna' make out after school?"

Alice shivered and jumped away with a gasp. Blushing, she scolded him. "Jas! We can't! Remember?"

He scowled again. "Damn Emmett!"

"You have football anyway." Alice told him, but regretted it the minute the words left her mouth as his face darkened.

"Yeah." He growled. "Matt better lay the hell off of me, too, or I swear I'm gonna' put him out of the game permanently."

Alice bit her lip, damning herself for bringing it up. He had been in such a good mood. He hadn't even freaked out when he'd caught her talking to Seth, not even when Seth had given her his jacket.

"I'm sorry, Jas." Alice looked up into his eyes and laid her hand on his arm. "I really wish I had never talked to Matt this summer. I never meant to start all this trouble. I was just being friendly, talking to him just like always."

Jasper watched the play of emotions on her face and wished he could make her happy all the time. "It's not your fault, Ali. I promise, I'll try to stay away from him, okay?"

Alice nodded, but her eyes remained regretful. Jasper touched his lips to hers softly and smiled when she let out a breathy little sigh. He yearned to grab her up and kiss her until they were both breathless, but he stepped back and tucked a length of hair behind her ear.

"We better get going, love. The bell's gonna' ring any minute." Alice nodded as they started walking back toward their lockers. Jasper grabbed onto Alice's hand and gave it a squeeze. She dimpled up at him and his heart flipped in his chest. He grinned at her and felt on top of the world.

"Jas?" Alice asked, tentatively, as they reached Alice's locker. "Are you taking me to the dance with you, or should I just meet you there?"

Jasper chuckled at her and shook his head. "What is so important about this dance?"

Alice blushed and ducked her head. "I... don't know... I'm..." She peeked up at him and saw that he was looking down at her with amusement. "I've never been to a dance before, Jas. I guess I'm just... excited."

He squeezed her hand again. "Well, I feel bad, darlin'. It won't be all that fun for you with me onstage and you left alone. I'm glad that Jess and Rose will be keeping you company."

"Well, that, and I get to watch the best-looking guy at school singing and playing the guitar." Alice giggled.

Jasper grinned. "Well there is that." He chuckled and leaned down and kissed her cheek. "As long as I'm the only guy you're watchin', darlin', I guess that's okay."

Alice giggled as she got her books out of her locker and let Jasper escort her to her next class.

~xo-0-ox~

"Hey, Alice!" Seth called as he caught up with her in the hallway on their way to History class. "Zac is gonna' meet me here after class. You wanna' wait with me to meet him?" He asked.

"Um... sure... " Alice told him. Smiling, she continued, "I'd like that."

He smiled back. "Great!" Bella was already in her seat when they got to class and both girls were surprised when Seth followed Alice to her seat and sat down in the desk next to her.

After class, Bella said good bye and went to meet Edward. Seth and Alice went out into the hallway to wait for Zac. Within a few minutes, he came bounding down the hallway.

"Hey, Seth!" He called, but his eyes were on Alice.

"Hey, Zac! This... is Alice." He said. Zac put out his hand and Alice went to shake his hand. Instead, Zac bent over and raised her hand to his mouth.

"Enchanted, my lady." Zac said, looking up at her through his lashes and kissing the back of her hand.

Alice looked surprised and blushed. Seth laughed. "Zac! Stop embarrassing Alice." Zac laughed and let go of her hand. "He loves embarrassing people, Alice, don't pay attention to him."

"It's nice to meet you, Alice." Zac laughed. "I hear we had you pretty confused, huh?"

"Well, yeah, I guess so." Alice laughed and shook her head. "You'd think I could've figured it out sooner, but I guess I'm not as smart as I thought."

Zac and Seth looked at each other and laughed again. "Don't feel bad, Alice. Zac and I have been doing that to people for years. Until I grew my hair out, that is."

Zac elbowed him. "Yeah, he had to go and ruin all our fun."

"Why did you grow out your hair, Seth?" Alice asked him, as the three of them walked down the hall.

"Well, back in California, we were in a band. We all grew out our hair, well, except Zac." Seth explained, looking at Zac. "Zac, here, is too much of a jock to grow out his hair."

"Yeah, cuz I don't want to look like a girl, like Seth-erella, here." They started shoving each other, playfully, and Alice rolled her eyes. Boys! They were all alike.

"You were in a band?" Alice asked. When the boys nodded, Alice asked, "What do you play?"

"I played the drums and Seth plays the guitar." Zac told her, shoving Seth again.

"That's cool. You know, my brother and Jasper are in a band." Alice told them. "They're playing at the Harvest Dance this year."

"No way! That's your brother?" Zac exclaimed. "I heard they're really good. Is that the Jasper that's on the football team?"

Alice nodded. "He and my brother, Edward, and our friends, Brent and Bella, are in the band. They played all over Wisconsin last summer. They placed third in the Battle of the Bands at the State Fair."

"Very cool!" Zac enthused, trying to keep Seth from pushing him into the lockers. "So Edward is your brother, not Jasper?"

"Right. Edward is on the football team, too." Alice told him.

"Yeah, I know who he is, the quarterback, right?" Zac grinned and gave Seth a shove.

"Yep! That's him." Alice nodded. "Well, guys, it was nice talking to you." Alice told them as they reached her locker. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right, Alice." Seth said. "See ya' tomorrow." He shoved Zac one last time and ran, laughing.

"See ya'!" Zac yelled as he raced after Seth.

Alice shook her head, they were all out to drive her crazy. Just then, Edward and Bella walked up.

"Hey, Alice." Bella said, looking behind her. "Was that Seth and Zac?"

"Yeah." Alice said, shaking her head and laughing. "They're just as bad as Em and Jas."

Edward laughed and rolled his eyes. "Great! Just what we need... another Emmett and Jasper."

They laughed together and walked toward the door. Alice looked at Edward, suddenly realizing something.

"Edward, don't you have football today?" Alice asked, looking perplexed as she remembered that Zac should've had practice, too.

"Naw, they announced that we don't have it tonight. The coaches had to go to some kind of seminar, or something today." He said.

"Oh, I wonder where Jas is, then?" She said, looking around the emptying hall.

Edward looked around, as well. "I don't know. He's usually where ever you are, Ali."

"True." Bella agreed. "He's usually not far. Something must be keeping him."

Edward put an arm around each girl. "Well, let's go outside and wait for him. He'll have to show up eventually, if he wants a ride home, that is."

They walked outside and Alice's step faltered when she spotted Jasper. He was talking and laughing with Zac and Seth, and a few other guys from the football team, but what made her hesitate, was the girl at his side with her hand on his arm.

"Hey, guys!" Jasper called when he spotted them, and waved them over.

"Hey, Jas." Edward said as they walked up to the group. "Guys." He nodded to the other boys. "What's up?"

"We were all talking about going over to get some pizza, Ed. You and the girls wanna' come?" Jasper asked, his eyes going to Alice. She just stood there with her head down and Jasper frowned. "Ali?" He addressed her. "You wanna' get some pizza?"

Alice looked up, but her face was guarded. "Sure, Jas." She tried to smile, but couldn't quite accomplish it.

Someone said something, and Jasper looked away and became involved in the conversation, once more. Alice watched him interact with the others and she noticed that he never once outright acknowledged the girl at his side, but it was as though she belonged there. Her eyes took in the ease in which the girl leaned into Jasper's side and the way she squeezed his arm as she laughed. She mingled with the group as though she were one of them. Alice felt that sinking feeling in her stomach and the nausea rise in her throat. She swallowed and tried to appear normal, but a sharp eye would've noticed the paleness of her skin and the unusual brightness of her eyes.

The group started to walk down the street, and Alice trailed behind them. She really didn't want to go, but, as usual, she did what everyone else wanted. Besides, she wouldn't have a ride home until Emmett or Rosalie were done with practice.

They reached the restaurant, and Jasper held the door open. He ushered everyone in and smiled when he caught Alice's eye. She looked so miserable and his face became concerned.

"Ali? What's wrong, Darlin'?" Jasper asked her, stopping her from going into the building. He bent down and looked into her face. "Are you sick?"

Alice shook her head. "I just... have a little headache..." She wouldn't directly meet his eyes and he frowned and asked her if she'd like to go home. "I'm fine, Jas, really."

"Okay, love. Let me know if you change your mind." Jasper told her as he ushered her through the door. When they approached the table that was being set up for them, there weren't two chairs together. One empty chair was next to the other girl in the group, and Alice bit her lip and started to walk toward it.

Jasper walked with her and Alice saw the girl lean over and whisper to Seth, who was sitting on the other side of the empty chair. He moved over so there were two chairs together. Jasper thanked him and he settled Alice into the now-empty chair. He sat down in the other chair, and Alice could've sworn the girl next to Jasper grinned.

"Alice, do you know Mara?" Seth asked her, gesturing toward the girl next to Jasper.

Alice nodded. "Yes. We met at the State Fair."

"Good to see you, Alice." Mara said, smiling sweetly. "I didn't know that you were friends with Seth."

"He's in my History class." Alice told her, glancing up at Jasper. He just smiled at her and put his arm around the back of her chair. "Um... do you guys want to sit together? We could move over." Alice asked, looking from Mara to Seth.

"Mara is my sister, Alice." Seth told her, laughing. Zac, who sat across from them, laughed, too.

"Yeah, Seth. You wanna' sit next to Mara?" Zac asked, making kissy faces at Seth.

Seth made a face. "That is just... gross, Zac!"

Mara and everyone else laughed, while Alice just smiled, looking between Seth and Zac. She could now see the resemblance to Mara, but the boys both seemed honest and friendly, where Mara, did not.

A waitress came over and brought them all glasses of ice and pitchers of cola, and they started discussing what they were going to order. Alice was happy that Jasper kept his arm around her and she started to relax. He poured her some cola and asked her if she wanted pepperoni on her pizza, as usual. All in all, he was very attentive, but she couldn't help noticing the way he leaned toward Mara when she spoke to him, or the way Mara put her hand on his arm when she laughed at something he said.

Alice told herself it was just her insecurity rearing its ugly head, but that didn't help her stomach to feel any better. He looked over at Bella and saw that Bella was watching her. She quirked her brow at Bella and Bella looked concerned.

"You okay?" She mouthed, and Alice smiled and nodded. Then Bella's eyes went to Mara and back to Alice. She tilted her head, concern still on her face. Alice shrugged her shoulders and Bella nodded slightly toward Jasper. Alice shrugged her shoulders again, and Bella looked stern and mouthed the word, 'no'. Alice nodded and took a drink of her cola, her stomach continuing to pitch. She hated feeling this way and wanted desperately to go home.

The pizzas came and Jasper asked Alice if she'd like him to get her a piece before the other guys ate it all. She laughed and thanked him, but she didn't know if she'd be able to eat anything at all. He poured her some more cola and asked her about her afternoon. Alice finally began to feel normal again and was telling him about something that had happened in Math class, when Mara tapped him on the arm again.

"Oh! Jas! I forgot to tell you!" She cried, excitedly, and proceeded to go into this long tale about a mutual classmate. Jasper, ever the gentleman, gave her his full attention, and Alice looked back over at Bella. Bella gave her a look that indicated that Alice was being silly, and Alice looked down at her plate. She turned when a voice to her left addressed her.

"So, Ali, you and Jas are going to the dance together, huh?" Seth asked her.

Alice nodded. "Yes, but he's playing in the band, so I'm going to be hanging with Jess and Rose."

"That's cool. Do you mind if I hang with you girls?" He wondered. "I'm not taking anyone, I haven't really had time to meet anyone, yet."

"Sure, Seth. Of course, you can hang with us." Ali told him, leaning toward him, her hand on his arm. "We would love to get to know you better."

Seth smiled at her. "Thanks, Ali! Thanks for being so friendly. It's hard moving and leaving all of my friends."

"I can't imagine how you must feel, Seth." Alice told him. "I've lived here my whole life and am surrounded by all of my friends and family every day. I would miss them so much if I had to move away."

Seth shrugged. "It's good for our family, I mean, my dad has an awesome job now and we really love it here, it's just... well, I don't play football, or really have anyone to hang out with besides Zac."

"I'm sorry, Seth." Alice looked around the table. "Everyone here seems to like you. Just give it time."

"Oh, everyone has been great, it's just, I don't fit into every crowd. It means a lot to me that you befriended me." Seth smiled and held up his cola. "Here's to a long and happy friendship."

Alice giggled and clicked her glass to his. "I'll drink to that." Alice added, and they both grinned and took a drink of their cola.

Alice's giggle caught Jasper's attention, and he looked down at her. "What's going on?" He smiled and gave her a loving squeeze, his arm settling along the back of her chair again.

"Oh, not much. Seth and I were just toasting to long and happy friendships." Alice's eyes were sparkling and Jasper grinned at her.

"Well, good! I hope it's a long and happy one, too, Seth." Jasper told him, grinning at him over Alice's head. "I hear you rock the guitar. We could always use another guitar player in our band, if you're interested."

Seth and Jasper started talking about the band, and Alice frowned. Every time she made a friend, one of the boys always stole them away. Damn! She needed to get some space from them before she was alone forever.

"That's right, Jas! You guys are playing at the Harvest dance, aren't you?" Brice Daniels called out when he heard Jasper and Seth talking about the band. At Jasper's nod, Brice continued. "Man, I can't wait to hear you guys play."

"Me, too." Said Mark Richards. "I hear you guys are really good."

"Thanks, Mark." Jasper smiled. "We practice a lot..."

"Yeah, every day." Edward added with a grin. "In fact, that's what we'll be doing when we leave here."

"Yep." Jasper laughed. "You guys can come listen in on us, any time you want. We set up in my garage and, like Edward said, play just about every day."

"Oh! That would be so cool, Jas!" Mara squealed, gripping his arm. "I didn't get to hear you play at the fair. I would just love to come by and listen one afternoon."

"Any time, Mara." Jasper told her, and looked back over at Seth.

"So, you game, Seth?" Jasper asked him, a crooked grin on his face.

Seth grinned back. "I'm game, Jas. I'll be there."

"Well, Seth, I'm really looking forward to it." Jasper enthused as they were leaving the pizza place. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." He shook Seth's hand and guided Alice back down the street to the high school. "Isn't that awesome, Ali? We'll really sound great with another player."

"Jas, why do you need another player, anyway?" Alice asked him. "You play guitar, and so does Bella, isn't that enough?"

"Well, yeah, it's good, but Bella plays bass, and another guitar player will give us a richer sound with more depth. Besides, some of the passages are hard to play and sing at the same time. This way, we've always got someone covering." Jasper explained. "Heck! He may even be a good singer. That would be real sweet. Well, we'll find out on Saturday, huh?"

"I guess." Alice answered as Jasper swung their hands and grinned at her.

Saturday morning, Alice woke up with a groan. Today Seth was coming over to the Hales' to play for the band. If he was any good, the band wanted him to join them, and Alice would have to change all of her programs to include him. She sighed as she got out of bed and made her way to the shower. She just wanted to stay in bed all day, but she had promised Jasper that she would come over and give him her opinion on Seth. As if he or Edward would really listen to her if her opinion was different from theirs, anyway.

After a nice, warm shower, Alice felt a little more enthusiastic, but she still did not feel like doing any band stuff today. She would rather just lay around the house, for some reason.

"Oh well, once Seth's played, I'll just excuse myself and come back home." Alice told herself as she made her way downstairs.

"Hey, Ali." Edward called as he spotted her coming down the stairs. "You excited to hear Seth play today?"

"Um... sure..." Alice said, attempting a smile. "It'll be great. He was in a band in California, you know, so he's probably pretty good."

"I know! I can't wait." Edward enthused, rubbing his hands together. "This band thing is one of the best ideas Jas has ever come up with. I mean, we could be famous some day. It's just mind-boggling."

"Edward? Don't you want to be a doctor any more?" Alice wondered, a look of astonishment on her face.

"Well, of course I do, Ali. It's just, becoming a famous musician is a once in a lifetime dream. It doesn't happen to just anyone, and we've already got quite a following, as well as some media acknowledgment." Edward said. "There's a possibility that this thing could really take off."

Edward came over to Alice and put his arm around her shoulders with a little squeeze.

"If it did, it would all be due to you and Jas." Edward grinned. "You are a big part of making this happen for us, Ali."

Alice smiled and thanked him, but inside she was kicking herself. If the band became famous, they would be traveling all over and Jasper wouldn't go to college. She's never see him and girls would be throwing themselves at him. Eventually, he'd reach his limit and give in to one of them. She'd never be able to deal with that, she's go crazy wondering if he was with a different girl every night.

"Well, Ali. I'm heading over to Jasper's. I'll see you over there." Edward called as he headed for the door. "Don't be too long, you know how Jas gets."

Alice nodded as he went out the door. Yeah, she knew how Jas got, and she didn't need to be reminded.


	69. Is This a Dream?

**Finally! I know! It's been a whole month since I last updated and a few of you have let me know how worried you were at my long delay! I really am sorry! It's been a crazy month and I have no other excuses! I did write a couple one-shots, each for a different contest, and I urge you to read them, if you like. Let me know what you think... Also, I have updated my Blog so, if you follow it, there are more pictures on it and I even have a banner for, 'My Everything'. I won it! How cool is that? **

**Thanks for hanging in there with me! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I am planning to update at least once a week from now until the end. Many Blessings! **

**My Blog site: (take out the spaces, or click on the link on my homepage.) __****http: / charlidenae . webs . com/**

69.

Is This A Dream?

"Seth! Man, where have you been all my life?" Brent yelled, to the amusement of his bandmates, as he grabbed Seth up in a tight hug. They had just finished a set, and Seth was already fitting in exceptionally well. A week, or so, of practice, and it would be as though he had always been part of the band.

Alice smiled as she watched her friends congratulate their new band member, happy that they were so happy, but feeling an empty ache inside herself. With a sigh, she hopped down from the workbench, but halted when Jasper called out to her.

"Ali! You're not leaving already, are you?" She looked over into his anxious face and gave him a reassuring smile.

"No... I just... needed to stretch my legs." She told him as he walked over to her.

"Good, cuz I wanna' hear what you think of Seth." He grinned, obviously anticipating a glowing review.

"He's great! You guys sounded awesome, really." She told him. "His deeper voice blends well with the rest of yours and he is really good on the guitar. Did you think he wouldn't be?"

He looked sheepish. "Well, no, but I still like to hear what you think." She smiled sweetly up at him and his face lit up in an adorable grin.

Alice shook her head and laughed. She had been feeling a change in their relationship, finally, and she liked it. "Thank you for that, Jas" She whispered intimately, putting her hand on his chest. "It means a lot to me that you value my opinion."

Jasper's grin grew wider. "I do, Ali." He attested. "I may not always show it, but your opinion means a lot more to me than you know. It does, I swear." She laughed again, there was that insecure Jasper that she was coming to know and love.

She reached up and wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down, as she stretched up on her tiptoes. His eyes darkened as their lips met and a jolt ran through Alice. She loved the surge of power she felt when he looked at her that way. She sighed into his mouth and pulled back, secretly thrilled at the look of disappointment on his face. She was slowly gaining the upper hand with him and she couldn't be more pleased.

"Ali?" Jasper gave her a tentative look. He straightened and rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly. "Would you want to... go somewhere with me... tonight?" She looked puzzled and he clarified. "I mean... I thought I'd ask Emmett... you know, if he and Rose wanted to... do something with us." A look of excitement crossed Ali's face and Jasper let out a breath and grinned again.

"I'd love to, Jas! That would be a lot of fun." Alice enthused. "We haven't done anything since school started.

Jasper looked like a little boy with his pleased smile and Alice giggled. God, she loved him. Just as she was about to initiate another kiss, new voices entered the garage.

"Hey, Zac! I'm in the band!" She heard Seth shout, followed by happy laughter.

"Great job, doorknob!" Zac immaturely replied, and the two of them began pushing at each other. Jasper rolled his eyes at Alice and they both turned to greet the new arrival. Alice's breath caught in her throat when she spotted Mara standing there smiling at her brothers, but casting glances at her and Jasper.

"Oh! Hey, Mara!" Jasper greeted her, a welcoming smile on his face. "Did you come to listen to us play?"

Mara nodded and looked up at him through her lashes as he walked toward her. "I just couldn't wait until the dance to hear you." She simpered, touching his arm with her fingers, and Alice felt her hands clench into fists at her sides. Not only was the girl obviously trying to steal Jasper away from her, but she was extremely transparent about it.

"Hey, Alice. I can keep you company while the boys... Oh! And Bella... practice." Mara said, a fake smile on her face as she looked adoringly up at Jasper.

"Sounds... good." Alice answered half-heartedly. Her smile more of a grimace as Mara walked toward her. The band gathered together to discuss things with Seth, and Zac stood among them, taking everything in. The girls sat off to the side on the chairs that Jackson had set out for them, Mara asking questions about the band. Alice tried to answer as politely as possible, but was so relieved when Zac joined them a few minutes later.

"Hi, Alice. Nice to see you again." Zac said as he sat down in the chair next to her. "I've been wanting to come listen to the band for a while, but now that Seth is in it, I guess I'll get to hear them play a lot, huh?"

Alice smiled and nodded. "He's really good, Zac. The others are really happy with him."

Zac nodded. "He is good. Our old band in California, really miss him."

Alice looked up at him, a frown between her brows. "Why don't you play any more, Zac?" She asked him.

Zac ran his hand through his hair and grinned at her. "I get more girls playing football."

Alice laughed at his answer and goofy grin. He was as charming as his brother, but even sillier.

The band played their starting song and Seth jumped in when he could, reading the sheet music that Edward had given him. Unlike Bella, Seth didn't know the song ahead of time, but he didn't do half bad going through it his first time. Jasper played the guitar solo, as always, but he gestured for Seth to try it along with him. Seth caught on and the two of them both had their tongues sticking out as they played. Zac elbowed Alice and nodded toward them.

"Twin goofballs." Zac quipped, which caused Alice to giggle at him again. Zac had her giggling on and off during the rest of the song and, though she saw Jasper glance over a few times, she just couldn't stop laughing at Zac.

Soon, talk turned to the Harvest Dance.

"Why do they call it the Harvest Dance if it's for Homecoming, Alice?" Mara wanted to know.

"Well, there are a lot of farms around here, and a lot of the kids have to help their parents with the harvesting. Someone decided to call the Homecoming dance the Harvest Dance instead, and it's been called that ever since." Alice explained. "They still call the football game, the Homecoming Game, though, and the parade, too."

"Well, it sounds kind of stupid to me. No offense... " Mara declared snottily. "But I guess there aren't a lot of sophisticated people outside of William's Bay."

"The people around here are very nice, Mara, and smart, too." Alice insisted, her loyalty kicking in. "I know a lot of people think that farm people are ignorant, but they're just as worldly as anyone else."

"Don't worry about it, Ali." Zac tried to soothe her. "Mara can be a snotty bitch when she wants to be. Just ignore her."

Mara glared at Zac. "Zac! I'm just giving Alice my opinion. I wasn't cutting up on anyone, I just don't understand why they can't call it the Homecoming Dance to simplify things. It's so confusing with a different name."

Zac put up his hand. "Whatever, Mara. You're just pissed 'cuz you don't have a date."

"I do, too, have a date, Zachary Michael! You're the one who doesn't have a date." Mara snapped before flouncing over by the band.

Alice turned worried eyes toward Zac. "Wow. Is she always like that?"

Zac laughed. "Naw. She's just a little high-strung. She gets really irritated when things don't go her way."

Alice looked over to where Mara was leaning on the wall in front of the band and swaying her hips.

"Don't let her scare you, Ali. Seth and I keep her under control." Zac laughed again. "She's basically harmless." Alice gave him a tentative smile, but she wasn't convinced.

"Hey, now that he's in the band, I guess Seth won't be hanging out with you girls at the dance, after all, huh?" Zac asked Alice.

"Oh, yeah! I guess not." She looked at Zac, a little grin on her face. "I was looking forward to hanging out with him, too. He's a lot of fun. Oh well, he'll have more fun with the band."

"Well, can I take his place?" Zac wondered, looking hopefully at her.

Alice laughed. "Of course you can, Zac. You don't have to ask, just meet us there." Then Alice sobered some. "You don't have a date, either? How come you didn't ask anyone?"

Zac looked a little embarrassed. "I... um... wanted to, but she's already going with someone else." Zac said, his cheeks a little pink.

Alice smiled sadly. "Anyone I know?"

"Well..." His eyes went over to the band, and Alice thought she understood.

"Oh... yeah... that is... awkward." She said looking at Bella. "Her and Edward... have a... _thing_... going."

Zac gave her a confused look before Alice continued. "If you're interested, I do know someone you might like."

Zac's eyes widened slightly. "Well..."

"I promise, she's nice, and you don't have to ask her. I'll just introduce you and you can take it from there." Alice urged, smiling widely.

Zac smiled back. "Sure! Why not?"

"Cool! Her name is Stephanie Anderson and she's really cute." Alice assured him. "You'll see."

The band finished their song, and the three onlookers clapped. Mara sprang away from the wall and bounced over by the band.

"You guys are amazing, Jasper!" She gushed. "Oh my God! I cannot believe how good you are. I know people said you were, but... oh my God! I just didn't realize..."

Jasper looked uncomfortable. "Ah... thanks, Mara. We practice a lot..."

"Well, it shows! I am so impressed." Mara continued, practically squealing in her praise.

"Mara, we're gonna' practice some more. I wanna' be good enough to play at the dance." Seth interrupted impatiently. "Will you sit down and just listen?"

Mara's face twisted. "Geeze, Seth. Relax." She flounced back over to her seat next to Alice and flopped down in the chair. "Zac, your twin is an ass." She huffed to Zac, flipping her hair.

"Yeah... so?" Zac replied with a grin and Alice covered her mouth with her hand to keep from laughing. Their eyes sparkling, Alice and Zac grinned at each other.

Maybe she had a new friend, after all, Alice thought as she continued to enjoy Zac's company.

~xo-0-ox~

_Em & Rose want to go to the drive-in. Last weekend for it._

_OK w/ you? It might be cold. Let me know! _

_xx Jas_

Alice grinned. She loved going to the drive-in with Jasper, especially now. It would be chilly and they could snuggle up together under one of the comforters that Emmett kept in his Jeep. She hugged herself and then punched her answer into her phone.

_Sounds fun! Call me l8r._

_xx Ali_

Alice had stayed to listen to the band and talk with Zac all morning. She'd really enjoyed herself, even though Mara had shown up, and then, after everyone else left, she and Jasper had eaten lunch with Bella and Edward. The three band mates had chattered non-stop about the band and the dance, but Alice had felt included as they'd asked her advice about what to wear and if the songs they were planning were okay, and she'd loved every minute of it. Now, she and Jasper were going to spend time together on a real date. She hoped her happiness would last this time. It seemed that, whenever she actually felt happy, something would change or come along to ruin it. With a sigh, she lay down on her bed next to Jasmine and absently ran her fingers through the cat's soft fur. Jasmine purred and Alice hummed in satisfaction, letting her contentment flow through her, and drifted off to sleep.

"Alice! Wake up!" Emmett demanded, shaking Alice awake. "You going with us, or not?" He asked, when she finally looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

Alice sat up, groggily and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She hadn't realized how tired she had been and wondered how long she'd been asleep. "What time is it, Em?"

"Time to get your ass out of bed." Emmett growled at her. Alice looked sharply up at Emmett's face. He never talked like that to her, and she wondered if he felt okay.

"Em? Are you all right?" She asked, watching him as she smoothed her hair with her hands.

"Yeah, Ali! I'm fine." Emmett snapped, his brows furrowed over his eyes. "Can we just go now?"

"Um... sure, Em." Alice said hesitantly. Emmett yanked her up off the bed by her arm and propelled her across the room. Alice felt alarmed and suddenly realized that they weren't in her room any more. Everything was blurry and dark, and she felt the familiar fear edge through her.

She tried to pull her arm out of Emmett's grasp, but he just looked back at her with his red eyes and smirked. He had tricked her, and she felt the familiar unease that always gripped her when she was caught up in one of her nightmares.

"Wake up, Alice. It's just a dream." She told herself, squeezing her eyes shut, but the fear wouldn't leave and she could still feel Emmett's iron grip on her arm.

Soon, she heard other sounds, shuffling, voices and growling, and she could feel herself beginning to tremble. She heard Emmett chuckle and a fresh course of fear ran through her at the sound. She tried desperately to pull away from her brother, but soon, she was surrounded by her family. Their red eyes were mocking her and she she could hear them laughing softly to each other. She took a deep breath and told herself again that she could get through this. "Come on, Alice, keep remembering, it's just a dream."

"It's just a dream, Alice." Jasper's mocking voice reached her. "It's just a dream." The others all laughed at his words, and he smirked at her. "Why do you even bother? You know I'm going to kill you, just like always. Don't give yourself false hope."

Alice shook her head. "You can't really hurt me. I'm safe in my bed. You're not real."

Jasper put his head back and laughed. Finally, he said. "Oh, I can hurt you, all right, just you wait and see." His eyes turned red and his grin widened so that his long, sharp fangs could be seen. Emmett hauled Alice forward and Alice shut her eyes tight.

"This is just a dream. This is just a dream." She chanted to herself. She felt Jasper's hot breath on her face and squeezed her eyes tighter. "Just a dream... just a dream..."

"Tell yourself whatever you want, darlin'." She heard Jasper whisper against her neck. "Either way, you're mine. Don't ever forget it."

Alice screamed as his fangs pierced the delicate skin just below her ear. The pain was unbearable, but she didn't know if it was the pain in her heart, or the pain of his fangs in her flesh, that hurt the worst. Her last thought before she fell lifeless to the floor, was that, maybe it wasn't just a dream, after all.

"Alice! Wake up!" Carlisle barked frantically. "It's Daddy. Come to me, honey. Alice. Right now!"

Alice slowly opened her eyes and gasped when she saw her mom and dad standing there. Her dad had his hands on her upper arms, slightly shaking her, and she saw Emmett hovering uncertainly behind him.

"It's okay, Pumpkin." Her dad crooned to her and she collapsed against his chest. These nightmares exhausted her and she wished with everything in her, that they would just stop.

As Alice sobbed against his shirt front, Carlisle looked up at Esme with worry. It had been a while since Alice had suffered one of her nightmares, but she had never had one during the day before. He had walked in from the garage and was talking to Esme in the kitchen when they had heard Alice scream. Emmett had gone tearing up the stairs in front of them, and the three of them had breathed in relief when they saw that Alice was just dreaming. But then, the realization had set in that it wasn't night, and yet she had been locked in another night terror's grip.

"Shhhhhhh... Ali, you're safe, sweetie." Alice heard her mom say soothingly.

She raised her head and looked at her parents. "It was the worst one, yet." She whispered, tears running down her ashen cheeks. "It was so real. I knew it was a dream, if fact, I kept telling myself that it was just a dream, but it was so real."

"I'm so sorry, baby." Carlisle said, stroking her back. "I wish so desperately that we could figure out a way to stop the nightmares."

"It's all right, Daddy. You're here now." Alice told him, snuggling back into his chest, missing the look that passed between him and her mom.

~xo-0-ox~

Alice giggled as Jasper dragged her eagerly to the little building that held the refreshment stand at the Drive-in. They had left Emmett and Rosalie back at the cars because Jasper hadn't wanted to waste any time getting on with their drive-in date.

"Jas, slow down." Alice laughed, breathlessly. "The movie doesn't start for another fifteen minutes."

"I know!" He hollered back at her, still pulling her forward.

Alice almost ran into him as he suddenly stopped in line for popcorn. He turned to face her and chuckled as she caught her breath.

"What is your big hurry?" Alice asked, her eyes twinkling. "Are you starving, or something?"

Jasper looked down at her, a wolfish smile on his face. "Oh yeah." He laughed. "I'm starving, all right."

He wriggled his eyebrows at her and Alice smacked his chest and giggled.

"Jasper. Don't say things like that. You'll get us in trouble." She admonished him, but her heart wasn't in it. They'd been so happy, and she didn't want to discourage him.

"What?" Jasper asked, a look of false innocence on his face. "I am starving."

Alice shook her head at him and he grinned. He hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head, and they snuggled as they waited for their turn.

On the walk back to the cars, Alice could feel Jasper looking intently at her. She looked over at him and grinned at the look on his face.

"What?" He asked. False innocence, again, on his face. Alice laughed at his antics and skipped alongside him. She loved when he acted playful and was looking forward to spending the evening with just him.

They reached the cars and Emmett grinned at them. "Hey, you two! Bring me anything?"

Jasper laughed. "Yeah... like I could carry enough for you. Go get your own."

Emmett pouted and looked sad. "Hey! I'm giving you the perfect opportunity to molest my sister, and you didn't even bring me anything from the snack stand?"

Alice gasped and Rosalie smacked him on the chest, but he and Jasper just laughed. Alice rolled her eyes. Boys were such a big annoying mystery to her. One day, Emmett wants to kill Jasper, the next, he's joking about Jasper molesting her. 'How the heck do you keep up with them?' She thought. She'd have to ask Rosalie the next time they were alone.

Jasper, still laughing, threw Emmett the bag of M&Ms he had bought. "Here, ya' big pig. Eat these, and don't ever say I didn't give ya' nothin'."

"All right!" Emmett exclaimed enthusiastically, ripping open the bag and pouring the candy in his mouth. Rosalie smacked him on the arm.

"Your sister's virtue for a bag of M&Ms? Nice." Emmett laughed and Rose smacked him again. "Hey! Don't think you're getting out of buying me some popcorn, Buddy." Rosalie warned him as he smiled, showing chocolate between his teeth. "Ewwww! Emmett, you are _so_ gross."

"I know!" Emmett nodded eagerly. "But you love me anyway."

Alice laughed as Jasper helped her up into Emmett's Jeep. She felt his hand on her butt and reached behind her to smack it away. He looked affronted when she back glanced at him.

"I was just trying to give you a helpful boost." He told her, innocently, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Sure." She said with a grin and took her popcorn from him. She watched as he walked around the front of the Jeep to the driver's side, and pondered for the millionth time, how someone as gorgeous as Jasper could want someone as plain as her.

He jumped into the Jeep and flashed his dimples at her. "Hey, gorgeous. Ya' got a date, or can I join ya'?"

Alice shook her head at him and giggled. "I've got a date, but you're cuter. Come on in."

They laughed together and Jasper invited her over to sit with him. He pulled the comforter around them and they settled in to watch the movie, Alice feeding him popcorn.

Jasper stretched as the movie ended and Alice sat up off of his side. He glanced over at Alice and smiled.

"How'd you like the movie, sweetheart?"

Alice smiled dreamily up at him. "I loved it." She replied with a sigh. "It was so romantic."

Jasper laughed. She was such a girl. "Believe it, or not, I thought it was pretty good, too." He smiled at the little contented cooing noise she made. "I know you're nice and warm, but I want to go up to the Concession again. Do you need to use the bathroom, or do you want something else to eat?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, please." She said as he unwrapped the blanket from around them and took her hand in his. He helped her out of the Jeep and they walked to the concession stand, hand in hand.

"Thank you, Jas." Alice said, shyly, looking down at the ground as they walked.

Jasper watched her in disbelief. "You're welcome, Ali." Then he chuckled at her obvious embarrassment. "I cannot believe it when you're shy around me. It's so frickin' cute, but you've known me forever. How can you possibly feel shy with me?"

Alice blushed, her eyes still on the ground, and shrugged. "I don't know." She answered quietly. "I just... am."

He chuckled again. "Well, it's silly, but adorable." He told her, squeezing her hand. He led her into the building and waited while she went to the bathroom. When she came out, he bought them another tub of popcorn, another huge soda and other assorted snacks.

"There is no way we can possibly eat all that, Jasper, you always spoil me." Alice told him when she spotted the treats he was buying.

"Well, that's what I was born for, darlin'." He drawled. "To spoil my favorite girl."

Alice rolled her eyes and grinned. Sometimes, he was just too much, but she loved it... loved him.

"Here, darlin', just get in on my side, Okay?" Jasper told her as they got back to the Jeep. "It's getting' cold and I don't want you catchin' a chill." He lifted her up as she hung onto their snacks and Jasper got in behind her. He got her all snuggled in and wrapped the comforter around them once more. "Comfy?" He asked, grinning down at her.

"Very." Alice dimpled up at him, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

The second movie started and Alice watched the screen eagerly. A little while later, she felt Jasper's eyes on her. She looked up at him and blushed. He was staring at her, his eyes dark, and she hadn't even realized it.

"Ali..." He whispered, lowering his head, his eyes focused on hers. "You're so sweet..." He made a low humming noise as he lowered his eyes to her lips.

Alice stared at him with wide eyes, a jolt of excitement running through her to settle in the pit of her stomach. His lips met hers and, when she didn't protest, Jasper crushed her to his chest. He kissed her deeply and Alice couldn't stop the sigh that escaped her lips. She felt Jasper smile against her mouth and she wound her fingers in his hair. He kept slanting his mouth over hers, but his kisses seemed to get more and more frantic.

"Jas..." Alice whispered, trying to pull her lips from his.

"Shhhhhhh... Ali... it's okay..." He murmured, nibbling down her jaw to the tender skin of her throat. "Just... enjoy..." He continued kissing and sucking on her neck and Alice could feel the ache in her stomach move down. She glanced around in embarrassment, hoping no one was watching them. Just then, Jasper moved so that his lips were kissing along the neckline of her shirt. Alice started to pull away, but Jasper held onto her and pushed past the material to the warm flesh underneath.

"Jas... someone will see..." Alice gasped, her hands pushing against his chest. Jasper mumbled something that Alice couldn't understand and she tried to turn her head to see if Emmett was looking. She saw him and Rosalie kissing in Rose's car, as well, but that's all they were doing. Their hands just wrapped around each other.

She gasped when she felt Jasper suddenly push her sleeve down to expose her bra and his lips roamed over the swell rising above it. She attempted to push at his chest again, but he wouldn't budge and she was starting to feel frantic.

"Jasper... Jas..." Alice said softly, trying to get his attention. "Jasper... you have to stop..."

He groaned and she felt him pushing the strap of her bra down her arm. Putting a hand up to her chest, she held onto the material still covering her. She heard Jasper make a growling noise and a spike of fear pierced her heart. It sounded just like the sound he made in her dream. Her breath hitched and she tried to tell herself that everything was okay... but then she wondered if she were dreaming... Her head began spin and she didn't know what was real and what was a nightmare. She tried to turn her head to look towards Emmett again, but Jasper had her chin in his grasp. He brought his lips to hers once more and she felt his hand on her chest. He was kissing her desperately and trying to put his hand in her bra.

Alice held onto her bra and she felt Jasper trying to pull her hand away from it. When she wouldn't let go, she heard him make the growling sound again and she whimpered into Jasper's ravishing mouth. Her eyes opened wide and she half expected to see red eyes and fangs. She saw the boy she loved, his face endearing but twisted in frustration, as he continued to kiss her. She closed her eyes and saw his gleaming red irises against the inside of her lids. Fear clawed its way up her throat and she sobbed into Jasper's mouth, her hands pushing against him urgently now.

Jasper finally realized that Alice was fighting him and pulled back in surprise. He was shocked to see the fear on her face and tears rolling down her cheeks. He cupped her face in his hands.

"Ali? Darlin'? What is it?" He asked in concern, all passion suddenly gone. "Ali? Did I hurt you?" His eyes roamed over her looking for an injury, and Alice shook her head, trying to control her tears.

"N-no... I-I'm okay..." She managed, her breath coming in hiccups. Jasper looked worriedly into her eyes.

"Please, Ali... tell me what's wrong." Jasper asked her, desperation making his voice rise. He held her face still, but his touch was no longer gentle.

"I-I-I... am I... awake... ?" She asked him, her voice a bit breathless.

Jasper looked puzzled. "Of course you're awake, Ali. We're at the drive-in. Remember?" He was looking at her strangely now, a new fear in his gaze. "Why... why would you think you were... sleeping?"

"I... heard you... you wouldn't stop... I wasn't sure... " Alice stumbled for something to say, but couldn't seem to grasp the right words. Her head was still spinning and she wasn't convinced that she was awake. "You're gonna'... I know you will... I don't want you to... not again... "

"Ali... look at me." Jasper commanded, his hold on her face gentling. "Honey, you're safe. I promise. I'll make sure, okay?" He looked so worried that Alice felt herself relaxing. Suddenly, she remembered that's how he always fooled her. She stiffened up and shoved him with all her might. Jasper fell back from the unexpected push and Alice scrambled over to the passenger door. She flung the door open and fell out of the car. Landing on her knees in the gravel, she winced at the pain, but got to her feet and began to run. Emmett and Rose, startled from Alice's sudden fall, jumped out of Rose's car just as Jasper jumped out of the driver's side of Emmett's. He took off after Alice, but Emmett grabbed him as he came around the back of the Jeep.

"What the hell, Jas?" Emmett asked, holding Jasper by the arm.

"I don't know! She just freaked, Em. She asked me if she was awake." Jasper looked toward where Alice had run. "Let go! I gotta' get her before she gets hurt."

Emmett let go of Jasper and they both ran after Alice. Rosalie was ahead of them and she caught up to Alice when she tripped and fell again.

When Rose reached her, Alice let out a little shriek. "Alice! What happened? Are you hurt?" Rosalie asked her, looking her up and down. Alice was trying to pull away from her and she snapped at her. "Damn it, Ali. Stop! I'm trying to see if you're all right."

Emmett and Jasper ran up and Alice shrunk back. "Ali... what's going on?" Emmett gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Why are you running from us? Did Jasper hurt you?"

Jasper turned on Emmett. "No, I didn't hurt her. Geeze, Emmett, what the hell?" He growled. His eyes flew toward Alice when she gasped and pulled back trying to get loose from Rose's grip. Jasper and Emmett looked at each other, their eyebrows raised in question.

"Alice, honey, it's Rose... look at me, darlin'." Rosalie cooed to Alice, realizing that she was having some kind of panic attack. Alice's wide eyes met hers and Rose swallowed. Her eyes looked terrified and Rose felt so bad for yelling at her earlier. "Honey, you're all right. Did you fall asleep and have a nightmare?" Rose continued to talk to her in a calm, soothing voice. "We're at the movies, sweetie. Remember? Jasper and Emmett are taking us on a date."

Alice's shoulders slumped and her face relaxed, a sheepish smile coming to her lips. "I... I think I... just freaked out for a minute." Alice mumbled, embarrassed. "I thought... I was... asleep."

"It's all right, Ali. Don't worry about it." Rose told her, still in that calming voice. "We're all just glad that you're okay."

Emmett and Jasper nodded, Jasper moving slowly next to Alice. "I'm sorry if I did something that scared you, Darlin'." He told her, anguish all over his face and in his voice. Alice looked over at him, her wide eyes blinking as though she'd just woken up.

"I... don't think you did... you just growled." Alice told him, her face puzzled. She put her hand to her head. "My head hurts. Can we go home?" She asked.

"Sure. Let's get you home, Munchkin." Emmett said, as he ushered the three of them back towards the cars.

As they walked slowly back to the cars, a man approached them. "Are you all right, little girl?" He asked Alice, watching the other three intently. "If you're in trouble, let me know and I'll help you." He openly watched the others as he added. "My wife will call the police if she sees me wave to her."

Alice gaped at the man. "Oh... no... I'm fine, really... I just had... a panic attack." She mumbled, her face turning bright red. She gestured toward Emmett, Jasper and Rose. "This is my brother and our neighbors. They were just trying to help me."

"Oh... okay." The man said, his face relaxing as he smiled at them all. "I just wanted to make sure. You never know."

"Thank you so much for checking, though." Emmett told him. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem. You all take care of yourselves now." Jasper and Rosalie thanked him, as well, and he walked back to his car.

Alice looked at her family and groaned. "Oh God... what is happening to me?" She asked them, watching them closely for answers. "I'm not sure if I'm dreaming, or not."

Emmett, Rose and Jasper all exchanged worried looks, before looking back at Alice. "I don't know, honey." Rose finally told her. "But we're getting you home and seeing what your dad thinks, okay?"

Alice nodded and let Jasper walk her back to the car. "Jas?" She began softly. He slowed his steps and let Emmett and Rosalie get ahead of them.

"What is it, Ali?" He asked, concern puckering his brow.

"I'm so sorry that I ruined our date." She said in a pitiful voice. "I didn't mean to." She gazed up at him miserably and Jasper's heart broke for her.

"Oh, Ali... you didn't ruin our date, darlin'. If anyone ruined it, it was me." He ran his hand through his hair, a guilty look on his face. "I'm the one that started... pawing you and getting... all... aggressive... I'm so sorry... we were having so much fun." He looked so anguished that Alice reached up to touch his face.

"Don't, Jas." She said. "It's okay. I over-reacted... I heard you... growl..." Jasper felt Alice shudder and his guilt increased.

"Oh God... Ali..." He exclaimed. "That's why you thought you were dreaming? You thought I was that... m-monster from your dream?" He was shaking his head, understanding dawning on his face. "How could you... I mean... I would never... I mean... I wouldn't... not on purpose..." He ran his hand through his hair again. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... scare you." Jasper sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He put his head down to hers and just lay it atop hers. "I'm such a jerk... please don't think I ever would... hurt you like that..." Alice swore that she heard a sob in Jasper's voice and she wanted to die for hurting him.

Then, she heard a soft, sad voice. "Maybe, it's not good for us to be together... after all, Ali. It seems like all I do is h-hurt y-you..."

"Don't you say that, Jasper. Just... don't." Alice declared, pulling away to look directly into his eyes. "If I'm going crazy... " She shook her head, her eyes scared. "I c-can't do it, Jas... I need you." Her voice broke and Jasper pulled her to him in a comforting hug.

"You're not going crazy, Ali." He soothed. "Its these nightmares... they don't let you get a good enough night's rest." He pulled back to look deeply into her eyes. "I will never leave you. Do you hear me? Never. I will always be there for you." Alice nodded and gave him a watery smile. He put his arm back around her and escorted her back to the cars where Emmett and Rosalie were waiting for them.

Emmett went to help Alice into the Jeep when Rose stopped him. "Under the circumstances, I think that Jas should ride with Ali, Em, don't you?"

Emmett nodded. "Good idea, Rosie, but I want them to ride with you, so you're not alone." Jasper nodded his agreement and helped Alice into the back of Rose's car. He crawled in behind her and snuggled her against him.

"Oh! Em? There are still some drinks and food in the Jeep. I didn't get the chance to clean it out." Jasper called out to Emmett before Rosalie shut the door.

"No prob, Jas. Thanks." Emmett shut the door and gave Rosalie a kiss and told her to drive carefully, before getting into his Jeep and following them home.


	70. Out of Hope

70.

Out of Hope

"Well, Carlisle... Esme..." Dr. Roush said, joining them in his office. "I really think we should do more research into Ali's nightmares. If Barbara can get her to talk about them more, maybe she can help her that way, but I would really like to consult Dr. MacMahon. She has made miraculous progress with kids like Ali and I think she's our best bet. I really do."

"Whatever you think, Kyle." Carlisle agreed, running his hand over his face. "Ali seems to be getting worse instead of better. I don't know what to do, any more. She's not responding to medication, we're all losing sleep, she looks pale and sad all the time, I'm at my wit's end. We'll do whatever you think is best. We have to keep trying." Esme laid her hand on Carlisle's leg and he looked at her, placed his hand on hers, and gave her a sad smile.

"Good, I figured that's what you'd say." Kyle Roush told them. "I took the liberty of calling Ashley this morning. She said that she can pull some strings and see Alice first thing in the morning." He looked from one to the other. "Can you do that?"

Carlisle and Esme both nodded. "We'll have her there whenever you say." Esme told him softly, a slight hitch in her voice.

"Great." Kyle said, walking back to sit behind his desk. He looked at a paper lying on the surface. "If you can make it first thing... at 8:00 am... she can give Alice more than an hour to see if she can get somewhere with her." He looked up again. "Does that suit you both?"

"Absolutely." Carlisle answered immediately. "We'll have her there." Esme nodded and squeezed his hand. She looked at Kyle with tears in her eyes.

"Thanks so much for this, Kyle." Esme whispered, her throat tight. "I don't know what we would've done... " Her hand came up to her mouth and, putting her head down, she shut her eyes against the pain in her chest. "I've felt so... helpless... so, out of hope."

"You know I would do anything for you both, Esme." Kyle told her, a sympathetic look on his face. "I just wish we had gone ahead and sent Ali to Ashley earlier. I'm convinced that this is our answer. If it's not, you know I'll do whatever I can to help."

Esme looked up, her eyes swimming in tears. "Yes, I do know, Kyle. Thank you. You're a good man."

Carlisle stood up and pulled Esme up into his arms. He hugged her tight and stroked her back with his hand. Kyle came back around his desk toward them and handed Carlisle a tissue. "Here, My love." He said as he handed it to her.

Smiling gratefully, Esme dried her face. "You're an angel, Kyle. You truly are."

Kyle and Carlisle chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far, Esme." Kyle told her, his eyes twinkling with humor. "But I want to see Ali happy as much as you do."

He hugged Esme and they both laughed as they parted. "Okay, let's get this done, then, huh?" Kyle asked heartily as he led them to the door. To Carlisle he added, "Give me a call tomorrow, or stop by, and let me know what she thought, okay? I've got my fingers crossed."

"Sure thing." Carlisle said as he shook the doctor's hand. "Talk to you tomorrow, then."

Esme snuck a peek at Carlisle as they walked down the hall. His face looked grim, but she saw a spark of hope there, as well. She smiled when he looked over at her. "What're you thinking, Love?" He asked her.

"Well, this is the first time I've felt hope in a while." She told him, her eyes bright. "If Dr. MacMahon can help Alice, then she is my new hero." She took in a deep, cleansing breath. "I just can't stand to see our... baby... suffer... any more." A sob broke out with her words.

"Awwww... My sweet." Carlisle crooned to her as he drew her to him again. "Ashley will help her, I just know it. If she can't for some reason, we'll just keep looking until we find someone."

Esme nodded, reaching up to wipe her eyes. "Okay, Darling. I'm with you, just keep reassuring me, okay?"

~xo-0-ox~

Alice walked stiffly into the new doctor's office. She was so angry that she wanted to spit. Why did they keep dragging her to doctor after doctor? Obviously, there was nothing anyone could do for her.

"Have a seat, Ali." Her dad told her. "Mom and I will be right with you."

Alice plopped down in the seat with a sigh. She hated having this attitude with her parents, but what did they expect from her? Alice grumbled under her breath as she watched her parents at the front desk. They were talking to the receptionist while she sat here like a baby. She watched as they walked back toward her and sat in the chairs to each side of her.

Carlisle reached over and took her hand. "Are you nervous, honey?"

"No, Dad." Alice sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's not like this is the first doctor I've seen." Alice turned her head to look at him. "Why do you keep making me do this?" She demanded angrily. "These doctors can't ever do anything. You know this one can't do anything, either. I'm missing school for nothing, Lord only knows how much work I'll have to make up, and for what? I hate this! You're just wasting our time!" She announced stubbornly.

"Alice." Esme admonished her. "Don't talk to your dad like that. You know we're only trying to help you."

Alice frowned and folded her arms across her chest. She pressed her lips together and glared at the floor in front of her.

Carlisle gave Esme a pleading look and she grimaced, but nodded her head. Turning to Alice, Carlisle talked to her in a soothing voice. "Sweetie, I know you're scared, but we have to keep looking for a way to help you. Not until all our options are depleted, will we stop. We love you and want you to be happy. These nightmares are ruining your life, honey. When's the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

Alice turned her glare toward her father. "Don't you mean, the nightmares are ruining _your_ life?" Alice snapped. "You're the ones who have the problem, not me! I've never asked any of you to come and help me. Buy some earplugs, or something! You only want to stop my nightmares so you won't get woke up any more."

"Alice Cullen! That is enough." Esme gasped. "You're crossing the line, miss."

Alice pouted as she returned her glare to the floor, Carlisle and Esme's eyes meeting over her head. Esme frowned as Carlisle shook his head slightly at her.

"Ali," Carlisle continued softly. "You know that's not true. Your mom and I would do anything for you, or any of the other kids, and you know it." He paused, accessing her reaction. He noticed how her mouth tightened and her face twisted a little. "I know you're just angry and afraid, and I don't blame you. I'm feeling pretty scared right now, myself, and, you know what? I'm plenty mad, too."

Alice looked up at him in surprise. "You... are?" She breathed, her eyes wide.

"Yep." He nodded. "I'm sick of feeling hopeful and then finding out that nothing's working. Then, I think, what if we never find anything to help you? And that scares me... a lot. I love you so much, and I can't bear the thought of you having to suffer this way."

Alice's face crumbled and she threw her arms around her dad. "Oh daddy... " Carlisle blinked his own tears back the best he could and hugged the light of his life, tightly. He looked over at his wife to see her eyes filled with tears, as well, and her nodding her head at him, smiling.

"Good job." She mouthed at him. He smiled back and kissed Alice's hair. 'God,' he prayed. 'Please help my little girl.'

"Dr. Cullen? Mrs. Cullen?" A voice called out. "Dr. MacMahon will see you now."

Her mom and dad escorted a tearful Alice into the office, one on each side of her, and she felt a little better. She had been so scared that yet another doctor would tell them there was nothing they could do, or worse yet, that she was going crazy, and she had barely been holding it together. Now that her dad had confessed his fears to her, she felt for the first time as though they were in this together, and that she wasn't alone. She sighed, and settled into the chair that the nurse indicated.

The three Cullens looked around the office. It was cozy and cheerful, painted a soft green, with plants and objects of interest all around. There were stuffed animals and dolls on shelves, bright pictures and figurines on every surface, and wind chimes and mobiles hanging from the ceiling. Fluffy pillows of all different colors were strewn on the over-stuffed chairs and couch, that were arranged in a intimate grouping, and there was no desk, and no overhead light, just a couple of softly-lit lamps and a lap desk set on one of the chairs.

A soft knock on the door indicated that the doctor had arrived. Alice's eyes widened when her eyes lit on the woman standing in the open doorway.

"Hi! You must be Alice!" The woman said happily, as she walked forward and put her hand out to Alice. Alice stood up and shook her hand.

"Ummm... yeah... I'm... Alice." She stuttered, surprised that the doctor hadn't greeted her parents first. Alice took in the doctor's appearance, feeling stunned at the doctor's elegance and vibrancy.

The woman was almost as short as Alice was, herself. She had shoulder-length medium brown hair, which had been brightened with sunny highlights. Her brown eyes were wide and sparkly, framed by dark lashes, and she had a pert little nose and a full mouth, spread in a happy grin. She was dressed very fashionably is a hot pink sweater, gold chains around her neck, and black slacks with black high-heeled boots on. On her elegant fingers, she wore several rings and her nails were painted a bright pink, several gold bracelets jangling on her slim wrists.

"It's so great to finally meet you!" The woman chirped with a big smile. "I'm Ashley MacMahon." She looked toward her parents. "Would you introduce me to the people accompanying you today?" She asked, cheerfully.

Alice looked surprised, again, but complied. "Well... um... this is my dad, Carlisle... and this... is my mom... Esme." Alice supplied, her voice hitching a few times, not used to being the center of attention at one of these meetings.

"It's so nice to meet you both." Dr. MacMahon said as she greeted Carlisle and Esme. Then she went to the chair with the lap desk on it. She sat with it on her lap and pulled out a notebook and pen. "Do you mind if we get to know each other a little?" She asked, smiling happily at Alice. "I just love getting to know new people. It makes life so much more interesting. Don't you agree?"

Alice nodded, her mouth and eyes still wide as she gaped at Ashley MacMahon. "Oh! Would you like your parents to stay in with us, Alice, or should they wait outside?"

Alice looked from her mom to her dad, and back again. They just smiled at her and waited. "Ummm... well... I'd like them to... st-stay... if that's okay."

"Well, of course it is, silly." Dr. MacMahon giggled. "Otherwise, why would I ask?"

Alice heard her dad chuckle and glanced over at him. His face was serious, but she could see his eyes sparkling. She looked over at her mom and noticed that her face was a little surprised, as well. Their eyes met and they both shrugged and grinned at each other.

"Well, let's get to know each other, shall we?" Dr. MacMahon chirped, smiling at them. "Where shall we start?" She pondered, a frown of concentration wrinkling her nose. Then she brightened.

"Oh! I know. I'll tell you about myself, then, if you want, you can tell me a little about you. Okay?"

Before Alice could agree, or not, the spunky doctor went on. "I was born on a farm in upstate Wisconsin. I have two brothers and a sister. My parents still live on the farm, but they don't run it any more, my brothers and their wives do. My sister is a dentist in Madison. I went to the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and graduated with a degree in Psychology. Neither my sister nor I are married, but, I figure we've got plenty of time. We're not old maids, yet." She giggled at her last statement and Alice grinned. Ashley MacMahon was funny.

"I would like kids, some day, but I'm no where near ready. I'd probably forget one of them at the store, or something. I'm not very organized." She leaned forward as though telling Alice a secret. "If it weren't for Kate, out front, I would probably forget to wear pants or eat." She giggled again. "Don't tell her I told you, though, okay?" Alice nodded, a smile lingering on her lips, as the doctor looked back down at her paper.

The doctor looked at Alice again. "Is there anything I left out?" She asked her, a question on her face. "Hmmmmm... Oh! I know! I have a cat! His name is Mr. Fishy, 'cause he has fish-breath, but he's sweet and he can't help it, ya' know?"

Alice giggled out loud and the doctor grinned at her. "I have a cat, too." Alice told her. "Her name is Jasmine and she doesn't have fish-breath, but it is kind of stinky after she eats." Both girls giggled and Carlisle looked at Esme over Alice's head. He raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled. Maybe there was hope, yet.

~xo-0-ox~

"Daddy, I really like Ashley! Don't you?" Alice asked her dad as she sat in the back of the car on their way home. "She is so funny. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time." Alice looked over at her mom. "What do you think, Mommy? Do you like her?"

Esme nodded and looked back at Alice. "I do, Ali. She is hilarious! I haven't laughed that much lately, myself."

Carlisle chuckled. "Now I see why Kyle was so enthusiastic about us meeting her. I mean, I really like Barbara Carter, but Dr. MacMahon is really something else."

"Her name, is Ashley, Daddy." Alice reprimanded him, and Carlisle laughed.

"Ashley, then." He surrendered, loving that Alice had taken to the doctor so well.

"I can't wait to try the new medicine Ashley gave me tonight." Alice enthused as she bounced on the car seat. "Do you think it will work, Daddy? I sure hope so, don't you, Mom?"

Carlisle and Esme exchanged amused looks as Esme answered their daughter. "I sure hope so, too, honey. Wouldn't it be great to sleep all night without being scared?"

"Oh! It would!" Alice nodded. "It's been over a week since I've slept all night through." She kept bouncing on the seat as she watched the scenery pass by out the window. "Hey! Do you guys think we can have a cook-out tonight? You know, since it's getting cold, and all, we won't be able to soon."

"I think that could be a possibility. What do you think, My Love?" Carlisle looked to his wife.

"Well, Lynn and Jax asked if we wanted to go out tonight, but a cook-out sounds fun. I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Esme agreed. "Should we ask the Hales, Ali?" She looked back at Alice again.

Her happy face lit up even more. "Of course, Mom! We can light the fireplace, too. Jas and I can get the wood."

"Okay, then. It sounds like a plan." Carlisle stated. "I'll go over and see if Jackson and Lynnie are willing."

"Yea!" Alice crowed as she bounced again.

"It's a good thing it's Ali in the back, Essie. If it was Emmett, we might have to get new shocks on the car." Carlisle quipped to his wife. Esme rolled her eyes at him, so relieved that their meeting had ended happily. Now, if the medicine would just work, maybe life could go back to normal for a while.

~xo-0-ox~

Jasper's eyes roamed over his girlfriend's curvy little body as she bent to pick up a stick. They were out in the field behind their houses gathering kindling for the outside fireplace at the Cullens'.

"How's this one, Jas?" Alice asked him in a cheerful voice, her eyes bright.

"It's a good one." Jasper told her, eyeing the stick in her hand. "Looks nice and dry."

"Yea!" Alice cheered as she added it to the pile they had amassed on the tarp laying on the ground.

Jasper leaned over to dump the pile of sticks he held in his arms onto the tarp. "I think that's enough, Ali." He told her pulling the edges of the tarp up so that it formed a bag around the wood.

"Okay, Jas." Alice sang as she skipped along side him. "I can't wait to eat. I'm starving."

Jasper looked at her in shock. Alice rarely mentioned food lately and usually had to be persuaded to eat. It had been all he could do to get her to eat any of the popcorn at the drive-in the other night.

"I'm... glad to hear it, Ali." He said. "Our dad's are making Barbequed ribs. You know how good they are."

"Yes, I do." Alice moaned, rubbing her tummy. "And my mom is making twice-baked potatoes. Oh my God! My mouth is watering just thinking about it."

Jasper laughed at her. She was so cute that he just almost couldn't stand it. He let his eyes roam over her hungrily again and thought that he was starving, too, but not for food. Then he admonished himself when he remembered what had happened at the drive-in. He had to learn to control himself, damn it. It wasn't like he was some sex-fiend.

"Come on, Jas!" Alice called as she made her way across the grass. "Let's get the fire started so we can be nice and warm. I'm getting chilly."

"I'm coming, Ali. These sticks aren't as light as you, you know." Jasper teased, much to Alice's delight. She giggled and led the way, skipping, with a little hop thrown in, now and then.

"Dad, seriously, those were the best ribs you and Mr. Jackson have ever made." Emmett groaned as he sat back in his chair.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You say that every time, Emmett. It's just your excuse so you don't look like a total pig."

"Hey! I'm a growing boy! Ask our dads! They're both doctors, they'll tell you." Emmett nodded toward their dads and Rosalie shook her head.

"Whatever." She sighed, tackling her food once again.

Their dads chuckled. "Thank you, Em." Jackson said, his crooked grin wide. "I think they were the best, too. Of course, I did most of the work this time."

"Ha!" Carlisle exclaimed, throwing down his napkin. "You did most of the work?" Jackson nodded and everyone else groaned. "I'm the one who did most of the work. They would be dry and burned if I left it up to you."

Esme and Lynnette looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They both stood up with their empty plates and started to take them inside. "Anyone for dessert?" Esme asked, ignoring the argument going on between the men.

Emmett raised his hand and Edward and Jasper burst out laughing. "What?" He asked them. "I always have room for dessert."

The kids followed their moms, all taking as much as they could carry, into the house, while the men still chewed over who was the better cook. Lynnette emerged from the house holding a large pound cake to find the men laughing together and she grinned. They thought that she and Esme were so stupid, their arguing always got them out of cleaning up, but the girls were wise to their ploy and they wouldn't get away with it forever.

"Here's the bowl of strawberries, Mom." Jasper said as he came out of the house, a huge bowl of sweet strawberries in his hands.

"I've got the whipped cream." Called Edward, following on Jasper's heels.

"Okay, thanks, boys." Lynnette said as she started cutting the pound cake. She looked around. "Who's got the plates?" She asked.

"I do." Rosalie walked out the door, plates and forks in her hands. Alice right behind her with napkins and Emmett following with another pitcher of Iced Tea.

"I guess that's everything." Esme said as she came back outside. She rubbed her arms. "Brrrrr... I'm getting cold."

"Want me to grab your sweater, Dearest?" Carlisle asked her, taking a plate of cake and strawberries from Lynnette.

"No, Darling." Esme answered, rolling her eyes at Lynnette, a grin on both their faces. "Thank you, anyway. I'll just have Edward build up the fire."

"Sure, Mom." Edward jumped up and threw some more wood in the fireplace as the others dug into their dessert.

"So, Ali, how'd you like your new doctor?" Lynnette cautiously asked Alice. She was surprised when Alice lifted her head with a big smile on her face.

"She's great, Ms. Lynne! She's funny and she doesn't treat me like a baby. She talked to me, too, not Mom and Dad." Alice enthused, her face alight with happiness. "I get to see her again at the end of the week. She is so cool."

Lynnette glanced quickly over at Esme, who grinned at her and shrugged. Lynnette looked back at Alice and smiled. "I'm so glad, honey. She sounds wonderful!"

"Oh, she is." Alice stated, her mouth full of strawberries. "She told me a bunch of stuff about herself and asked me to call her, Ashley. Not doctor."

"Wow! That is cool." Lynnette said, looking at Esme again.

"Alice, Barbara Carter asked you to call her by her first name, too." Esme told her.

Alice shook her head. "No, Mommy. She told _you_ to call her, Barbara. She never told me to call her anything."

Esme looked thoughtful before making eye contact with the other adults at the table. "Hmmmmm... I guess that's true, isn't it?" Esme admitted. "Sorry, Ali. I didn't realize."

"No problem, Mom. Now that I get to see Ashley, seeing Dr. Carter won't be so bad, I guess." She ate another bite of dessert and looked over at Jasper. "Isn't this great, Jas?" She asked him. "I had such a taste for strawberries."

Jasper nodded, and the kids started a conversation about how good the cake and fruit was. The four adults exchanged enthusiastic looks, hope prominent on their faces.

~xo-0-ox~

Carlisle sat straight up in bed, the feeling of eeriness overwhelming him. Something was not right, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He looked around the dark bedroom to see if there was anything out of place, but everything seemed normal.

Esme made a small sound next to him, and he glanced down toward her sleeping figure. He could barely make out her shape in the dark, but she was breathing normally, so he pushed back the blankets and got out of bed. He made his way to the hallway and stopped to listen. He couldn't hear any unusual sounds, so he walked down the hall toward the kids' bedrooms. Edward was sound asleep, his fish tank light softly illuminating the room, so he went over to Ali's room. Her door was slightly ajar, as usual, and he didn't hear any sound coming from her room. On a whim, he pushed the door open and looked inside. His breath caught in horror as he saw Alice arched up on the bed. He rushed over to see her eyes bulging in her face, her mouth open in a silent scream, but absolutely no sound coming out of it. He quickly gripped her shoulders and pulled her upright, but she didn't acknowledge him in any way. Her back was arched and her whole body was rigid.

"Ali! Ali! Can you hear me, sweetheart? It's me, Daddy." He said loudly into her ear, but she didn't change in any way. Carlisle shook her slightly. "Alice! Honey, Daddy is here. Let me know if you can hear me."

"What's going on, Dad?" Emmett asked as he came into the room. "Is Ali having a nightmare? I didn't hear her yelling."

"Em! Quick, go get me an ice cold, wash cloth." Carlisle yelled as he held on to Alice.

Emmett ran back with a cold, wet rag. Carlisle grabbed it from him and threw it over Alice's face. Alice gasped and yanked it off. Her eyes met her dad's in the dim light and she gave him a look of surprise. "What happened, Daddy?" She asked, looking around the room. "I wasn't having a nightmare, was I?"

"I don't know, Ali." Carlisle said, breathing in relief. "I came to check on you and you were all arched up in your bed."

Alice looked down, disappointment on her face. "I'm sorry, Dad. I know you hoped I wouldn't wake you all up tonight."

"Alice, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't care if you wake us up, or not?" Her dad sternly asked her. "All I care about is helping you. I just woke up and felt like something was wrong. You did not wake me up."

"Oh." Alice said, at a loss for words.

"Do you feel all right? Does anything hurt or feel unusual?" Carlisle asked her.

Alice thought for a minute. "I don't think so." She said. She looked over at Emmett. "Did you hear me yell, or anything, Em?"

Emmett shook his head. "No, I didn't hear anything until I heard Dad hollering at you."

"Sorry you got woke up, Em." Alice told him.

Emmett shook his head at her. "Ali, you know I don't care about that."

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Em."

"Well, try to go back to sleep, honey. I'm going to check on you on and off through the night, so don't be scared if you see me later, okay" Carlisle said.

"Okay, Daddy." Alice agreed and laid back on her bed. Carlisle tucked her in and gave her a kiss. "Sleep good, Angel."

He and Emmett left the room and walked down to Emmett's bedroom. "She okay, Dad?" Emmett asked.

"I honestly don't know, son." Carlisle said, scratching his head. "It was like she was having some kind of seizure. It scared the hell out of me." He shook his head. "I'm at a loss, Em. It's gotta' be her new medication, but I'm not sure. I'll have to call her doctor first thing."

The sun was streaming in through the window the next morning when Alice woke up. She stretched in her bed and smiled over at Jasmine asleep by her feet.

"Morning, Kitty." She giggled as the cat opened one sleepy eye. Alice sighed happily and got out of bed. She stuck her head out the door and, not hearing any noises, made her way downstairs. No one was in the kitchen and she wondered why no one was around. She looked in the garage and saw both of her parents' cars, along with Emmett's Jeep.

"Hmmmmmm? I wonder where they are?" She thought as she made her way back upstairs. She stopped at her brothers' doors, but their rooms were both empty. She walked down to her parents' room, but it was empty, too. Puzzled, and a little bit worried, she walked back to her room to get dressed. When she walked into her room, it seemed as though the light had dimmed somewhat. She wandered over to the window to look out and saw that the sky had darkened since she had gone downstairs. Turning away from the window, she heard a sound that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. There, standing my the bed was Jasper. He was dressed in his sleep pants and T-shirt, but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking down at the floor and his shoulders were slumped.

"Jas?" Alice called softly to him as she walked over by him. "Are you all right?" She reached out a hand to touch him and he raised his head. Alice jumped back with a start, her mouth and eyes wide.

"Good morning, Ali. Did you actually think those little pills would keep you safe from me?" He laughed evilly, his red eyes glowing wickedly and his fangs gleaming in the faint light. "I've waited for you all my life. You're not going to escape me that easily."

Alice tried to run, but he grabbed her by her hair and she couldn't get loose. "Why are you doing this to me?" She shrieked, trying desperately to get away from him.

"Because I can." He told her, his lips drawing up in an evil grin. "There's no one to stop me and, besides, there's nothing they could do if there was."

Alice looked around, she was still in her bedroom, and she was alone with Jasper. "Please, Jasper." She begged helplessly. "Please... don't hurt me. I love you."

Jasper threw his head back, his eerie laughter echoing throughout the room. Finally he looked back down at her. "Love? Do you think I care about love?" He asked her with a growl. "All I care about is you." He yanked her close to him. "You belong to me and I will stop anyone who tries to change that."

Alice watched as his eyes darkened and he pulled her head to the side to expose her neck. She whimpered in fear as she felt his lips on her throat, and he whispered to her.

"All I care about is what belongs to me... and that's... you."

Just then, Alice felt an ice cold shock run through her. She opened her eyes and looked up to see her dad holding her. She sagged in relief. It was a dream, so different from her usual dream, but still just a dream. At least she hadn't screamed her head off this time and awakened everyone in the house. If she could dream in silence, maybe that would be the next best thing to not having the dreams at all. At least she wouldn't have to feel guilty for waking everyone up, and they would think her nightmares had stopped. She smiled as she hugged her dad. Fooling them would be so easy then.

~xo-0-ox~

"I can't believe it, Ali!" Her mom gushed. "Two weeks without any nightmares. How terrific is that?"

"I know! Isn't it great, Mom?" Alice enthused right along with her mom, but secretly she hated lying to her. "I am so happy that everyone is getting more sleep now."

"Me, too, but I'm even happier that you're not having to suffer though them any more." Esme said as she gave Alice a tight hug. "I always felt so helpless when you were having those dreams and I couldn't do anything to help you. It's such a relief knowing that you're finally getting the rest you need."

Alice smiled at her, but inside, she was crying. The nightmares hadn't stopped, if anything she was having them more often and they were even more intense. Now, her family had disappeared and it was only her and Jasper. Instead of just killing her, he tortured her over and over, and she felt frozen and unable to call for help. She shuddered thinking about it and Esme pulled back to look at her.

"Are you cold, Ali?" She asked, her eyes searching Alice's face.

"Just a little. I got a little chill a second ago, but I'm all right now." She assured her mom. "I'll just make sure I grab a sweater on the way out."

"All right, Angel. I hope you're not catching a cold." Esme worried, chewing her lip.

"No, Mom, I feel fine." Alice told her, rolling her eyes. "You worry too much, it was just a little chill. I'm not even really cold."

"Okay, then." Esme surrendered, looking Alice up and down. "If you say so, but you'll tell me if you don't feel well, right?"

Alice suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again. "Yes, Mommy, I will."

'God!' Alice thought. They treated her more like a baby now then they did when they knew she was still having nightmares. She shook her head in disappointment. She just couldn't win in this house.

"Mornin', ladies!" Emmett said as he walked into the kitchen. "Another quiet night, huh, Ali Oop?"

Alice nodded and her mom beamed from across the table.

"I sure am glad that your new medicine is working after all." Emmett commented as he stuffed his face with muffins. "Dad was really spooked when he found you all rigid on your bed."

Edward came loping into the room, grabbed a muffin out of the bowl next to his mom and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"What a great night!" He sang as he plopped into his chair, taking the gallon of milk from Emmett. "I haven't slept that good in ages. How're you feeling, Ali?"

"Ummmm... I'm fine, Edward." She told him sending a bright smile his way. "I'm... great."

"Glad to hear it!" Edward said. "I'm really happy for you." Then he turned to Emmett and started to talk to him about football. Alice watched them for a minute and then looked at her mom. They all looked so happy and refreshed.

"Oh well," she thought. "At least they're happy and feel comforted thinking everything's fine."

The boys realized that it was time to go and they both stood up, picked up their things and headed for the door.

"Come on, Ali!" Emmett called. "Bye, Mom!"

"Have a good day, Mom!" Edward called as he followed Emmett out the front door.

Alice got her stuff and went to give her mom a kiss. "See you this afternoon, Mom."

"Oh! Don't forget. Rose is taking you shopping after school. You both need a dress for the dance." Esme reminded her as she headed for the door. "Go straight out to her car, honey. Don't keep her waiting."

"I won't, Mom. Bye!" Alice told her, running for the front door, wishing that, just once, they would remember that she was a teenager now.

The sun was behind the clouds, but it was still a beautiful fall day as Alice and Rosalie walked out to Rose's car after school.

"So, sweet pea, I hear your nightmares have stopped." Rose said as they walked.

Alice glanced over at her to see a big smile on her face. "Well, yeah... " Alice said, slowly nodding her head.

"Isn't that good?" Rosalie asked her, a puzzlement marring her brow. "I mean... you're happy that they've stopped, right?"

Alice bit her lip and looked at Rose. "If I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Oh, Ali... " Rose said in a worried voice. "Okay, I promise." She unlocked the car and they both got in as Alice continued to chew on her lip.

"Well, the nightmares haven't actually... stopped... completely." Alice looked down at her lap as she fastened her seatbelt. "They've only changed and... I guess my new medicine makes it so I don't … holler out, so everyone assumed that they stopped." She raised her eyes to Rosalie who was looking at her sympathetically.

"So, you just let them keep thinking that the nightmares have stopped, instead of telling them the truth." Rose said as she nodded in understanding.

"Yes." Alice said softly, feeling guilty, but happy to confess to someone.

"Well, I can understand that, I guess." Rose told her as she pulled her car out of the parking lot. "I mean, I suppose I wouldn't want my family worrying over me all the time, either. And, if you stop the medicine, it's assumed that you go back to waking them up." She looked over at Alice. "Am I right?"

Alice nodded. "Yeah... " Then she defended herself. "And, Rose, they're all so happy that the nightmares have stopped. I can't tell them the truth and have them be upset with me again."

"I know, Ali, but what if the doctor has another medicine that does work for you. You've given up the chance to truly be rid of the nightmares for yourself, as well." Rose tried to reason with her.

"I've thought about that, but I want to leave things the way they are for now. Maybe in a couple weeks, when they're all really well-rested, I'll tell them that the medicine doesn't seem to be working as well as it did." Alice attempted to convince her.

"You can count on me not to tell anyone, sweetie. I won't say anything unless I feel that you're in bad shape, okay?"

"Thanks, Rose." Alice breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to talk about the truth with someone for a change.

The girls stopped to grab a snack before heading to the mall about a half hour away. They chatted along the way and then went into a few stores until they found what they were looking for.

"Oh my God!" Rosalie exclaimed as Alice came out of the dressing room. "Ali, that dress is going to knock Jasper's socks right off."

They both giggled. "I can imagine him right now, Rose, prancing around the stage in his bare feet." Alice said between giggles as she looked herself over in the full-length mirror. She swayed back and forth as she admired the dress, making sure that it looked perfect on her.

"You don't think it's too long, or too loose, do you?" She asked Rosalie.

"No, Ali. I think it looks perfect on you. I know it would be a little shorter on a taller girl, but it looks like it's what they call 'tea-length' on you. It looks very pretty." Rose assured her, smoothing the skirt down as she checked the fit.

"The lavender color makes your eyes look even bluer, and your skin? It looks so... creamy. You're going to have to beat Jasper off with a stick!" Rosalie told her amid Alice's giggles.

"Rose, you're good for my ego." Alice laughed at the girl who was like a sister to her.

"I'm only telling the truth, baby girl." Rosalie assured her. "If Jas wasn't already smitten, he sure would be once he saw you in that dress."

Alice looked over her reflection one more time. She did have to admit that the dress looked really nice on her. The soft lavender color complimented her dark hair and light skin, and the heart-shaped neckline made her chest look fuller. The length was a little long, but since the dance was semi-formal, a tea-length dress was appropriate and actually made her look a little taller, she thought. All-in-all, it was comfortable and she loved it.

Turning to Rose, she said, "I like it. I'm going to get this one."

"Good choice, Ali." Rose agreed. "I really like it."

"Thanks, Rose. Now we just need to find a dress for you."

They found the perfect dress for Rosalie two stores later and, as they headed for the car, Alice felt truly happy. She was pleased with the dress she found and she hoped that Jasper liked it, too. The dress that Rose had found was simply gorgeous and, although she wasn't really jealous of Rose, she worried that she'd look frumpy next to her. She chewed her lip in thought.

"Rose, can I ask you something... personal." Alice looked at her from under her lashes.

"Of course you can, sweet pea." Rose told her glancing at her and then back at the road. "Haven't I told you that you can ask me anything?"

"Yeah, you have, but this is kind of... really personal." Alice repeated.

Rose glanced at her again. "Well, shoot."

"Okay... um... how do you know... well, when it's... time... to have... sex?" Alice blushed as she stuttered out her question.

"Well, Ali. That's a good question, and I think we've talked about this before. There is no right or wrong time. I think you just know when it's right." Rose told her. Then she glanced at her again. "Has Jas been pressuring you again?"

"No! No, Rose. He's been fine." Alice told her, purposely not telling her about his actions at the drive-in. "It's just... well, I love Jasper, and he loves me, and we're going to get married, so I just wondered... why wait? I mean... how long should we wait?" Alice gave Rose a confused look and Rose frowned.

"Ali, you're only thirteen years old. You shouldn't be thinking about when to have sex." Rose explained, her face seriously concerned. "Let Jas wait. It won't kill him, no matter what he may have told you. His pecker won't fall off and he won't die from blue balls."

Alice looked horrified. "Blue balls? Will they seriously turn blue?"

Rose laughed. "No! That's just what people say when a guy wants to, but he can't. Of course, there's always the shower."

Alice looked confused. "The shower?"

"Sure. They... use their hand... you know..." Rose told her, trying to suppress her laughter.

Alice shuddered. "Oh my God! I didn't think of that." She looked wide-eyed at Rose. "Do you think Jasper does that?"

Rose nodded. "Yep. I think Jasper does that."

"Oh my God!" She stared at Rose whose lips were quivering with her need to laugh. She glanced over at Alice again, and both girls cracked up.

After Alice caught her breath, she asked. "Do you think Emmett does that?"

Rose let out a bark of laughter. "I _know_, Emmett does that."

Alice laughed again. "Edward, too?"

Rose nodded. "Probably. He's a boy, isn't he? They can't control that thing when they're teenagers, I guess."

Alice looked thoughtful for a minute. "Rose? Do you think that you and Emmett will... have sex?"

Rose grinned. "Yes, I do, eventually, but, for now, I'm calling the shots and good ole' Emmett is just gonna' have to wait."

Alice chewed her lip. She wanted to make Jasper happy, and she didn't want him to find another girl, one that would have sex with him, but she didn't know if she was ready, either.

She chewed her lip, lost in thought, until Rose found a song they both loved on the radio. They sang and laughed the rest of the way home, all insecure thoughts forgotten.

~xo-0-ox~

"Ali?" Ashley MacMahon said. "Are you sure you're telling me everything? You know, I can't help you if you don't come clean, girlfriend."

Alice gave her a sheepish look. "Well, I'm still having nightmares. It's just that, for some reason, I don't yell out during them, so my family all think that the nightmares have stopped."

Ashley frowned. "Ahhhhhh... well, gosh darn it all. I guess that stinkin' medicine isn't the one we're looking for then, is it?"

Alice shook her head, a grin hovering on her lips. Ashley was really funny. Alice didn't feel like she was at the doctor at all.

"Well, I have an idea, but only if you want to." Ashley said to Alice. Alice nodded, wondering what the doctor was going to say next. "What if we try a new medicine and I give you my cell phone number so you can call me if it doesn't work?"

Alice gaped at her. A doctor giving out their private cell phone number? Then, a thought came to Alice. She was the daughter of a doctor, that was probably why Ashley felt comfortable giving her the private number.

"Well, I guess that would be okay. I mean, I promise I'll only call it if the medicine doesn't work." Alice assured her.

Ashley shook her head." You know what, on second thought, how about if you call me three days after you start it, unless, of course, something happens before then, and let me know how its working?"

Alice nodded. "Okay, I can do that."

"Great! That way I won't have to wait to find out how you're doing!" Ashley clapped her hands and grinned. "Wouldn't it be so great if this next medicine did the trick? Then me and you could just sit and yak away without having to worry about pills and junk like that."

Alice laughed. "That would be great!"

"Goodie! We're going to keep our fingers crossed then." Ashley said as she started writing on a prescription pad. She handed Alice the paper and put her lap desk down. She leaned forward eagerly. "Now, tell me all about this dress you got for the dance. I cannot wait to hear all about it."


	71. Harvest Homecoming

71.

Harvest Homecoming

"We only have one more week until the dance, so Ali is gonna' videotape us." Jasper told the band. "That way we can watch ourselves and see how we're doing. How's that sound?"

"Great idea, Jas. That way, if we suck, we'll know how bad!" Brent cracked, making everyone laugh.

"Ha! Ha! Brent, ya' butt head." Bella joked. "I think you said something like that the last time Ali taped us."

Brent looked at her and stuck out his tongue. "Real mature, Brent." Bella quipped, laughing.

"All right, you guys." Jasper chuckled. "This is mainly for Seth's benefit anyway. Sound good to you, Seth?"

"Yep." Seth agreed. "If I suck, I can handle it." The others laughed again and Bella gave Seth a playful slap upside his head. Seth grinned at her, he really loved being part of the band, they were all like family and it was a great feeling to be included.

Jasper grinned over at Alice and nodded. "Okay, Ali, love. Whenever you're ready." He placed his hands on his guitar and watched her.

Alice fiddled with her camera and then nodded at Jasper. "Okay, Jas. I'm all set."

Jasper smiled, looked to make sure everyone was ready and then nodded at Brent. Brent started the opening song and they were on.

After they played five songs, four of which Seth was now able to play, Jasper asked for a break. He walked over to Alice and asked how they looked.

"You guys look great, Jas, just like always. Seth was perfect and fits right in. Except for the third song, you can't even tell he's new." Alice told him.

"Awesome!" He said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "Thanks, Ali." He turned back to the band.

"How about we finish the concert set and then see how the tapes look, Jas?" Edward suggested. "Seth's got the set down for the dance. He just needs to learn those few songs yet, or he can always take a break when we play them."

All eyes turned to Seth. "I'll try my best to learn them by Saturday." He said. "I don't think it'll be that hard."

Jasper laughed. "No, Seth, I don't think it will. You're a natural. I've never seen anyone pick up a song so fast."

Seth beamed at Jasper's praise and shifted his smile to Alice. She was smiling brightly at him, enjoying his happiness. Alice was always there to cheer him on, and he loved her for it. He didn't think he'd ever met a better person than Alice. His eyes shifted back to Jasper. "Thanks, Jas. Coming from you, I consider that high praise."

"I'd like to add to that, Seth." Bella told him. "I thought that Jas and I were good, but you've got us both beat, for sure." Seth blushed at her words and thanked her.

"All right, can we stop with the self-love and get some practicing done?" Brent interjected, causing everyone to laugh again, and the band started in with their next song.

"We're amazing, you guys!" Seth hollered as they all watched the tape that Alice had made of them. Everyone laughed at his enthusiasm. "Seriously. You guys didn't see the band I came from in Cali. We sucked next to this."

"Well, I'm glad you're happy, Seth." Edward told him. "I think we all agree that you really add to the band."

The rest of the band nodded in response. Seth grinned at them, and they all grinned back at him. Brent was especially excited.

"All I know is, next year, we're gonna' rock the Battle. No one will be able to beat us then."

"Brent, aren't you looking a little too far ahead?" Bella asked him, shaking her head.

"No, we have to plan ahead, Bells. If we wanna' be famous, we gotta' look to the future and be confident." Brent told her. Jasper frowned, he hated when Brent started talking about being famous. Sure it would be a blast to be famous, he supposed, but he had no desire to be a rock star, even if they were good enough. He had his future all mapped out, and being a famous musician wasn't in his plans.

"Well, at least none of us will be embarrassed to play in front of our friends at the dance next weekend, anyway." Jasper added. "I admit to being a little nervous having to play for our entire school."

Edward ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, me, too. It's one thing to be playing for strangers at a fair, but a whole other thing to play for our school."

Brent waved his hand. "Ha! They're gonna' be so blown away, they won't know what hit 'em. Every girl at school is gonna' be in love with us... " At a scathing look from Bella, he added, " ...and every boy with Bells."

Jasper groaned and put his hand over his face. "Oh God, I hope not."

The other boys laughed as Bella looked on in confusion. She glanced at Alice to see worry covering her face, her lip between her teeth. "What?" She finally said, looking over at Edward. "I don't get it."

Edward chuckled. "Most of the girls have already been in love with Jas at one time, or another." He laughed again when the other guys did, and Jasper just glared at them. "He's been the pretty boy at school, forever. Even some of the older girls crushed on him when we were younger and were on their little brother's team, or something. It's pretty bad when your best friend is prettier than most of the girls you know."

Jasper growled, still glaring at Edward. "Knock it off, Ed. I mean it."

"What?" He asked Jasper, his hands raised up, his shoulders shrugged. "Bella asked. I'm just telling her the truth."

"Whatever." Jasper grouched. "Can we just watch the tape now?"

Alice started the tape again and the subject was changed. Alice couldn't get the worry out of her head, though. She always worried about someone stealing Jasper away from her. What would it be like after the dance when all the girls saw how gorgeous he was up on stage?

Alice twisted her fingers in her lap. She had been thinking about something ever since her and Rosalie had gone shopping. She looked up to see everyone watching the screen intently, someone making a comment now and then, but focused for the most part. Maybe she could talk to Bella about her idea after they were done. She reached up to rub her temple. These darn headaches were getting almost as bad as her nightmares.

After they were finished watching their recording, Esme announced that she had whipped up some hot dogs and Mac n' Cheese if anyone was hungry.

Everyone was chattering loudly as Rosalie set the platter of hot dogs on the Cullen's table. Esme following behind with a huge pan of noodles and cheese.

"Thanks, Rosie." Emmett said, grabbing a couple of hot dogs off the plate. "Thanks, Mom."

"Hey, Em, you have to come out to the garage tomorrow and hear us play." Edward told him, putting a spoonful of Mac n' Cheese on his plate. "You wouldn't believe how much better we sound now that we have Seth."

Emmett laughed, a piece of bun falling out of his mouth. "Ed, you guys rocked before Seth, so I'm sure you're all just as good, but, yeah, I'd love to come out and hear ya' play tomorrow."

"Rose, you can come out too, if you'd like." Brent told her bashfully. Everyone laughed at him and he blushed. "What?" He asked, looking around. Ever since Rose had scared the hell out of him on one of their concert trips last summer, he was always careful around her.

"Thank you, Brent. I just might." Rosalie said as she grinned at him. She looked over at Alice who was sitting quietly, an untouched hot dog on her plate. "Hmmmmm... I wonder what's going on in that little head of hers?" She thought, vowing to have a talk with her after they were done eating. She felt eyes on her and looked over to see Jasper looking at her. Their eyes met and he asked a silent question of her. He could tell that she was worried about Alice, but he didn't know why. "I'll tell you later." She said with her eyes, and Jasper looked back over at Alice.

"Ali? Aren't you hungry, darlin'?" He asked her, leaning to talk softly in her ear. Alice looked up at him with startled blue eyes.

"Huh? Oh, not really." She told him, trying to appear happy. He could see right through her and his mouth turned down into a frown.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper demanded in a fierce whisper. "I know that look. You're worrying about something. Will you talk to me, please?"

Alice watched his eyes and gave a little sigh. "I'm just worried about the dance, Jas. It's nothing, really."

"Ali." Jasper prodded her. Alice knew she was stuck, but she couldn't tell him the truth, especially not here in front of everyone.

"Well, I was just worried that... my dress... isn't... pretty enough." She fibbed, hoping to fool him into thinking she was worried about something silly.

Jasper sighed. "Ali, I'm sure your dress is beautiful, and I'm sure you look beautiful in it. Why have you been so preoccupied with this dance? I know you've never been to one before, but it's being held in the gym at school. It's not that big of a deal."

Alice gave him a small smile. "I guess you're right, Jasper. It's just... well, I don't want to look out of place." She knew that would convince him. She was always worried about being out of place, and being made fun of, so he would believe her.

Jasper put his forehead to hers. "Ali, no one is going to think you look out of place, darlin'. They'll all be worryin' about their own hair or dress. Either that, or they'll all be jealous of how pretty you look." He grinned at her and she couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. He was a charmer, she'd give him that. Of course, that fact only added to her worries, that and his good looks were like honey to bees. The bees being the girls at their school, most of whom wouldn't give Alice the time of day.

Alice sighed. She'd just have to try her best not to worry and trust that Jasper loved her enough to resist temptation. She glanced down at his lap and chewed on her lip. Now, if only his boy parts would be able to resist, as well.

"What's going on, Ali?" Rosalie confronted her as soon as dinner was over. "You brooded all the way through dinner. Jasper may have been fooled, but I'm on to you."

Alice sighed. Sometimes, Rose knew her too well. "I... I'm just... nervous, okay?"

"Nervous about what, sweet pea?" Rose asked her, sitting down next to her on the couch. Everyone else had gone outside on the patio to chatter about the dance.

"Well, after the dance, all the girls are gonna' be all over Jas. None of them have really seen the band play before and, most of them are already in love with him." Alice looked up at her with wide, sad eyes. "He'll have his pick of girls and I just... don't compare."

Rosalie made a 'tsking' sound with her tongue. "Alice Cullen, how many times do I have to tell you that Jasper isn't interested in any other girl but you? You have to stop this, Ali, it's really getting old."

Alice looked ashamed and put her head down. "I'm s-sorry, R-Rose." She muttered, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"No, I'm sorry, Ali." Rose sighed. "It's not that I mind listening to you, it's just that Jasper hasn't done anything to make you think he's interested in someone else, so why can't you trust him?"

"I don't know." Alice whispered, still looking down at her lap. Rosalie bent down to try to look into her face.

"Ali? Has Jasper done something to make you think he's interested in another girl?" Rose asked her.

Alice looked up and shook her head. "Not really. He did... go out with Savannah... "

"That was ages ago, Ali. He's totally into you, can't you just be happy that you've got him and enjoy the dance?" Rose suggested, an encouraging smile on her face. "I guarantee you, when Jasper sees you in your new dress, he won't be thinking about anyone but you."

She grinned at Alice and put her arm around her. "Now, come on, give me a smile. You know you looked hot in that dress." Alice smiled up at her and Rose laughed, giving her a squeeze. "That's my sweet pea. Now, let's go out on the patio and have some fun. Your mom had Em build a fire and everyone is enjoying it being Friday night."

They stood up and Alice gave Rose a hug. "Thanks, Rose. Thanks for being confident in me, and making me feel better."

Rose kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome, Ali. Now we just need to get you confident in yourself."

"There they are!" Emmett hollered when Rosalie and Alice walked out onto the patio. Jasper walked up and took Alice's hand.

"You okay, darlin'?" He asked her, his eyes worried, but hopeful.

Alice nodded shyly. "Yeah... I was just being... silly." Jasper grinned at her and pulled her into his side. They walked over to where Jasper had been sitting on one of the lounge chairs and Jasper sat and patted the seat next to him. Alice sat down and let her eyes roam over her family. Bella, Brent and Seth were still here, and Bella was cuddled up with Edward. Seth and Brent each sat in a chair alone, and Rose and Emmett were laying together on one of the other lounge chairs. Alice saw her mom laugh at something Seth said and smiled. She really liked Seth and was so happy that her family had taken to him so well. She could sense that he really needed a friend, and she was happy to fill that role.

A little while later, Esme suggested that, either Emmett run the other kids home, or they have a sleep-over. The boys asked to be taken home as they had things to do yet tonight, but Bella decided to stay with Alice when she asked her to.

The girls went upstairs to get ready for bed and, no sooner had they changed, when there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Alice called as she pulled the door open. There stood Edward and Jasper, sheepish grins on their faces. Alice smiled back and raised her eyebrow. "Yes?" She repeated.

"We were wondering if you girls would like to watch a movie with us?" Edward asked, a playful smirk on his face.

"Well, I don't know... " Alice hedged. She turned to look behind her at Bella. "What do you think, Bella? Would you like to watch a movie with these... uh... boys?"

Bella giggled and grinned at her. She looked over at the boys still standing at the door and saw Edward's smirk. "Well... I don't know if I'm... in the mood, Ali... how about you?"

Alice looked back at the boys like she was thinking it over. "Well... I don't know, either..." She let out a shriek as Jasper hefted her into his arms, a scowl on his face, but his eyes twinkling.

"Enough, woman. Me, Jasper. You, Alice. Alice watch movie with Jasper." Alice giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carted her down the stairs.

Edward looked over at Bella and cocked his eyebrow. Bella laughed. "Don't you dare, Tarzan." She quipped, grabbing her socks off of Alice's bed and following him out the door. Edward laughed and escorted her down the stairs, they both smiled as Alice's giggles floated up to them.

"Bella, can I ask you something?" Alice said softly to Bella once the movie was over, they had gotten goodnight kisses from the boys, and were back in her room.

"Sure, Ali." Bella told her, curiosity on her face. "You can ask me anything." She sat down on Alice's bed and Alice slid down next to her and cleared her throat.

"It's kind of... personal." She looked up at Bella. "Is it still okay?"

Bella looked guarded, but nodded. "Sure. We're good friends, right? We should be able to ask each other anything."

Alice chewed on her lip. "Well, have you and Edward... done anything... you know... sexual?" She watched as Bella's eyes widened and her face flushed.

"Uh... well... uh... " Bella stammered. "Uh... why do you wanna' know, Ali?" Bella's face was beat red and Alice blushed just watching her.

"Well, Jas and I have... done some... stuff... and I was wondering... if we were the only ones." Alice looked down at her hands. "Plus... I'm really worried about... losing him, Bella." She looked up at Bella again and Bella sighed.

"Ali, Jasper is crazy about you. You know that. You're not going to lose him." Bella said, trying to reassure her.

Alice looked down again, she was having a hard time talking to Bella. "I... don't know, Bella. Jas... Jas wants... well... he wants to... have... sex..." At Bella's gasp, Alice's head shot up. She saw the horrified look on Bella's face and knew that her and Edward hadn't done much.

"Alice. You're not going to, are you?" Bella asked, her eyes wide. "You can't. I mean, you're only thirteen."

"I know, Bella." Alice grumbled, her friend's answer not helping her at all. "I don't know what to do."

Bella got a hard expression on her face. "Well, if Jasper is pressuring you, Ali, you need to tell someone. It's not right. Who does he think he is?"

"No... no, Bella. Jas isn't pressuring me, not really. He gets... carried away and... well, I'm afraid that he's going to get tired of... waiting for me..." Alice's voice broke and her eyes filled with tears. "And find someone else."

"Oh, Ali." Bella crooned and gathered Alice into a hug. "He's not gonna' find someone else, honey. Edward is the same way."

Alice pulled back and wiped her eyes. "He is?"

Bella nodded. "Yes... we'll be... making out... and he'll start... breathing heavy and his... _you know_... will get... _big_..." Both girls giggled, their faces were bright red, and Bella took a deep breath. "Well, anyway, we stop... but I can tell he doesn't want to."

Alice sighed. "Rose said the same thing about Emmett."

"Her and Emmett haven't...?" Bella asked, her voice hesitant.

Alice shook her head. "No. Rose says they're not going to until she's ready. She says she doesn't care what Emmett thinks and that she won't be rushed into anything."

"See, Ali?" Bella beamed at her. "Even Rose agrees that you should wait. If Jasper isn't pressuring you, then just let it go. Don't rush into something just because you're scared he'll find someone else. If he was going to leave you for not doing it, what's to stop him once you do?"

Alice's face went white and she felt faint. She'd never thought of that before. She laid back on her bed, the room spinning around her and black spots dancing in front of her eyes.

She heard Bella calling to her as though from far away. "Ali? Are you okay? Ali?"

~xo-0-ox~

Friday night arrived clear and cool. They'd held a pep rally in the school gym that morning and then the entire school had been dismissed so that the football team could rest up for the big Homecoming game. The junior varsity team was playing first, and then the varsity team was playing after them. Jasper and Edward were both starting, and they were really nervous, so Alice decided to go straight home instead of spending time with Jas.

Since she had scared Bella half to death by almost fainting last weekend, Alice had decided to try not to worry about Jasper leaving her any more. What Bella had said was true, what if she did sleep with Jasper, and he found someone else anyway? She knew she wouldn't be very good at sex, and she'd bet that Savannah had been really good at it, and, having only Savannah to compare to, she figured that Jasper would be very disappointed after sleeping with her. Better to keep him wondering...

Her plans to have sex with Jasper after the dance tomorrow night, were forgotten. She felt relief, but couldn't help feeling that things were still not right. She wished with all her might that she could be confident in Jasper's feelings for her, like Bella and Rosalie were. She sighed as she went to meet Rose next door. Rose was driving her to the game, as the boys had already left, and their parents weren't leaving for a little while yet.

Rose was waiting for her when she got there and they got right into Rose's Camaro. Rosalie looked gorgeous, as usual, and Alice worried that she didn't look nice enough. Rose glanced over at her.

"Ali, you look really pretty. You shouldn't worry so much." Rosalie reprimanded her.

Alice smiled and pulled down the sun visor to look into the mirror. "I know, Rose, but I'm not as confident as you. I can't help it." Alice told her, checking out the light make-up her mom had let her wear. Satisfied that her hair and make-up looked okay, she flipped the visor up and turned to Rose.

"Was Emmett nervous when he left?" She asked.

"No. You know him, Mr. Confident, but Ed and Jas sure were." Rose laughed. "You should've seen them. You'd think they'd never played in front of anyone before."

Alice smiled, she knew that their first homecoming was a big deal to the boys.

After they'd picked up Bella and Jessica, the girls pulled into the parking lot and walked down to the stands. There were already a lot of people there and they quickly chose seats and put their jackets down to save spots for their parents. Brent's parents were meeting them there, as well, so they wanted to make sure there was plenty of room.

Alice bounced slightly in her seat, she was so excited. She's seen the boys football games almost every weekend, but they'd never played a night game before. It wouldn't be really dark by the time Edward and Jasper's game was over, but the boys would join them while Emmett played, and Alice was really looking forward to cuddling with Jasper.

Just then, she heard the excited buzz around them and the marching band began to play the school song. Everyone stood up as the team ran out on the field. The crowd cheered and the players waved at the people in the stands. The cheerleaders all yelled and jumped around and the pompon girls ran out onto the field behind the team. As the boys warmed up on one side of the field, and the opposing team warmed up on the other, the pompon squad entertained the fans with a routine to music by the band.

Alice smiled as she spotted Kristy and, though she wasn't sure if she could see her, or not, waved at her. Kristy's smile got bigger and Alice grinned. She really liked Kristy and hoped she got to see her sometime today.

Just then, Alice felt her stomach drop. There was Mara performing a few feet from Kristy. She'd forgotten that Mara was on the squad. She watched as Mara flipped her hair and sashayed around the field. Alice wished that she had Mara's confidence as Mara flirted with the audience.

"I guess it's a good thing that I never got to try out for the squad after all." Alice thought as she watched Mara. She knew there was no way she'd ever look as good as Mara did down on that field.

The song ended and the pompon squad all ran off the field. The players ran over to the benches and the coach had them all sit down while everyone got settled. Alice sucked in her breath when she saw Mara walk up behind Jasper and tap him on the shoulder. She watched as Jasper smiled at her and they talked. The announcer asked everyone to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance, and Alice felt as though she was going to cry when she saw Jasper and Mara standing side by side, their hands over their hearts, reciting the Pledge.

Alice stood there with her hand over her heart, but had no sense of anything that was going on around her until she felt a nudge on her arm. She looked over to see Rosalie staring at her. Rose shook her head and gave Alice a knowing look. Alice took a deep breath and took up saying the Pledge.

"Ali, don't even start." Rosalie told her once the Pledge of Allegiance was over and Mara had walked away. "He does not like that girl. She's a skank, and he knows it. Don't you remember how he was trying to get rid of her at the State Fair?"

Alice nodded, trying to look convinced.

"Well, knock it off, then, and enjoy the game. That's your man out there counting on you to cheer for him." Rosalie scolded her. Alice smiled and nodded again.

"Okay, Rose. You're right, that's my man." Alice attempted to kid, a lame smile on her face.

Rose smiled and nudged her again. "That's right, and we'll kick any girl's ass that thinks otherwise."

The junior varsity team won twenty-one to twelve, and the fans were screaming by the time the game was over. The pompon squad had performed again at half time, and this time, Alice watched all the dancers, but Mara, and enjoyed the show. Her and the other girls had gotten hot cocoa from the concession and stopped to talk with some of their friends. They had cheered for their team and their dads had gotten them little pompons to wave. They'd had a great time, and now Alice was looking forward to being with Jasper for the rest of the night.

The varsity team came running out onto the field and the show started all over again. This time, the pompon girls did a different routine, and Alice really enjoyed watching them. After the game started, Jasper, Brent and Edward joined them in the stands, their hair still damp from the showers. Alice locked eyes with Jasper as soon as she saw him walking towards them and, though the pompon girls were still down near the field, his eyes never strayed from hers. She felt better after that and greeted him with a smile.

"Great came, Jas." Alice told him shyly. Jasper grinned and pulled her close for a hug and quick kiss.

"Thanks, Ali." He whispered into her hair. "You look really pretty." He pulled back and let his eyes roam over her and she blushed. He chuckled when he saw it, and hugged her to him again. As they sat down, their parents called out congratulations to the boys and they all settled down to watch the varsity game, snuggled up with their girls.

Emmett's team didn't do as well as the junior team did and they only won by a field goal. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the timer ran down and cheered for their team and the close game. Rosalie watched anxiously as Emmett celebrated with his team mates and smiled when he looked up at her. He grinned and gave her a thumbs up and she laughed. That was her goofball man, all right. Thank God they had won.

Their parents all went on home as the kids waited for Emmett to come out of the locker room. When he emerged, he gave a loud whoop and swung Rosalie around in his arms. "How'd you like the game, Rosie?" He asked her once he'd set her down.

"It was too close for comfort, Em. Don't ever do that to me again." She scolded him, her eyes twinkling. Emmett threw his head back and laughed long and hard. His girl was a ball-breaker, all right, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

The kids all got back to the Hales' and the parents had a surprise feast waiting for them. They filled their plates with fried chicken, slices of ham, potato salad, baked beans and other goodies. They took their food out onto the patio, but the adults claimed it was too cold and stayed indoors. Emmett built a fire in the Hales' outdoor fireplace and they sat around eating and talking.

"Man, I have to say, I really didn't think we were gonna' win there for a while." Emmett told them, pretending to wipe sweat from his forehead. "I was really sweating there, for a few minutes."

"Well, you guys played great, Em, the other team was just really good, too." Edward told his big brother.

"Yeah? Well, they were too good, if you ask me. I'm still not sure how we won." He continued. "I'm not really sure if we should've won."

Rosalie made a huffing noise. "Well, you did win, and that's all that matters. Besides, you creamed them when you played them last time, so they just got lucky today."

Emmett grinned. "Well, it sure is a lot funner to win, especially the homecoming game."

"Hell yeah!" Brent yelled, raising his glass. The rest of the kids cheered, too, and they all busted out laughing.

"The dance should be a lot of fun tomorrow, huh?" Jasper asked Alice who was sitting next to him, holding onto her plate.

"It would be better if I could be with you, Jas, but it should be fun." Alice admitted.

Jasper raised her chin with his finger. "Ali, you're the one who set up the gig. Remember?" Alice giggled and nodded.

"I know. I'm not mad, or anything. I'm sure we'll still have fun. I just wish I could spend more time with you, that's all." Alice sighed.

Jasper kissed her on the cheek. "I know, darlin', but there'll be lots of other dances. I promise."

~xo-0-ox~

The morning of the dance, Alice woke up with her stomach full of butterflies. She looked over at the clock and sighed. She only had an hour before Rosalie was coming to get her so that they could go and get their nails and hair done. Then, they were going to come back here so that Rose could do their make-up. The boys – and Bella – had to be at the school by 6:00 since the dance started at 7:00. Emmett was going along to help them set up, and Rose and Alice were going to pick up Jessica and meet them there.

Alice took a nice warm shower and went down to breakfast. She made sure to take her medicine and ate as much cereal as her nervous stomach could hold. As she got up from the table, her mom looked up.

"Is that all you're going to eat, Ali?" Esme asked her.

Alice nodded. "I'm not really hungry this morning, Mom, I'm kind of... nervous."

Esme bit her lip and looked thoughtful. "I know Rose is picking you up soon, but do you want to put in a call to Ashley? Maybe she can see you after you get your hair done?"

Alice looked at her for a minute, thinking. "No... I'll be okay. I haven't had any nightmares or panic attacks since I started this last medication. I think I'm just having normal nerves."

Esme looked at her intently before relaxing with a sigh. "Okay, Ali. Try to relax though, all right, honey? Have fun with Rose. It's not every day you get to get all dressed up and go to a dance with a handsome guy." Esme's eyes twinkled as she lowered her voice. "I heard that a certain, handsome young man, asked a certain girl's father, if he knew what color her dress was."

Alice grinned. "Did the dad of this certain girl, tell him?" Alice asked her mom, her eyes sparkling.

Esme shook her head. "Well, the dad was sworn to secrecy after the young lady modeled the dress for him, so he only hinted that it was a pretty springtime color. The color of the flowers that bloom on a lot of the bushes around our yards. I think the young man may have figured it out."

Alice giggled and hugged herself. She was going to get flowers from Jasper, she just knew it. "Oh, Mom, I can't wait." She cried as she twirled around the room.

Esme chuckled. "Well, you better not do that after you get your hair done, Rose will kill you." Esme warned as Alice continued to twirl in circles. Alice stopped, her cheeks pink and her eyes bright.

"I won't, Mom, I want to look perfect for Jasper." She sighed, hugging herself again.

Esme grinned. "My dear, I wouldn't worry too much about that. I think you could wear a paper bag and that boy would think you looked perfect."

"Alice! Hold still!" Rosalie hollered at Alice as she squirmed on the stool.

"Not too much, Rose. I don't want to look like a skank." Alice teased Rosalie.

Rosalie laughed. "If you don't hold still, you're not going to live long enough to look like anything."

Bella watched them with amusement. She'd already had her turn in the chair and she knew exactly what Alice was going through. She glanced at herself in the mirror and sighed. She did look nice, though. She wasn't the least bit conceited, but Rosalie sure had a way with make-up. She looked older and mysterious without being overly made up. With her hair a little punked out, but soft, and her black sheath-like dress with black, high-heeled boots, she was feeling very confident tonight.

"There, munchkin, you're all done, finally." Rosalie rolled her eyes and sighed. Alice turned and looked at herself in the mirror and her mouth fell open. Her make-up made her eyes look really big and blue and there was a light blush on her cheeks. Her hair fell in spiral waves around her shoulders and down her back and her bangs were wispy on her forehead.

"Rosalie... oh my God! Thank you so much!" Alice hugged her carefully so as not to mess up her face or hair.

"You're welcome, sweet pea. Now go let Bella help you get your dress on while I finish up my make-up. The boys are going to be waiting for us and we still have to pick up Jess." Rose reminded her.

A little while later, the girls walked down the stairs, grinning in anticipation. They could hear the boys in the living room talking about something on TV. When they reached the bottom, Rose cleared her throat and they saw three heads swivel around to look in their direction.

"Oh my God, Rose!" Emmett yelled, jumping over the couch and coming over to her. "You look gorgeous." He looked her up and down, admiring the way the sapphire blue dress hugged her curves and her white blonde hair teased her shoulders. "Well, you always do, but... wow!"

Rosalie grinned and glanced over at Alice. She was standing with her head down, but peaking up at Jasper through her lashes, a small grin on her face. Rose looked over where Jasper stood a few feet away and grinned herself. He was standing there with his mouth open and his eyes wide, like he had just been smacked with something cold.

Rose could hear Edward gushing over Bella a little ways behind her, and watched as Jasper came slowly forward.

"Wow... Ali... you look... amazing..." Jasper told her, his eyes still taking her in.

"Thank you, Jas." Alice said softly, gazing up at him, and Rose grinned wider. Alice was working it just like she'd taught her. She watched as Jasper blushed and stumbled over his feet to pick up the little box he'd set on the table next to the front door.

"I got these for you, Ali." Jasper told her, his face still pink. Rose giggled and Emmett looked up from where he was placing her corsage on her wrist.

"What?" He asked, clueless. Rose nodded toward Jasper and Alice, and Emmett looked their way and grinned. Jasper was blushing as he handed Alice a small bouquet of lavender baby roses. He tied them around her wrist with the attached ribbon, so she didn't have to worry about dropping them when she danced, and it was all Emmett could do not to laugh.

He'd always loved to make Jasper blush, but he held back from teasing him so that he and Alice could enjoy their moment, though it was really hard for him. He smiled back at Rose and hugged her.

"Thanks for dolling up my baby sister, Rosie." He whispered into her ear. "She looks gorgeous, but not as gorgeous as you."

Rosalie tittered and Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "You're welcome, Em, and thank you." She said, blushing as well. Emmett got a cocky smile on his face and escorted her over to where their moms waited with their cameras.

~xo-0-ox~

Alice sighed as she gazed up at Jasper on the stage. "Isn't he dreamy?" She said to Jessica, who was standing next to her.

"He is, but I'm kind of liking the drummer myself." Jessica answered her with a giggle. Alice laughed as she looked at Jessica.

"Well, to each his own, I guess, huh?" Alice quipped as they both giggled. They were having a great time. The music was great, the decorations were beautiful and the company was excellent. Alice couldn't ask for anything more, other than that Jasper be able to dance with her.

"Hey, Alice." Alice heard a deep voice in her ear and a tap on her arm. She spun around to see Zac standing there looking handsome in a black suit.

"Zac!" Alice cried with a big grin. "You look so handsome." She could've sworn that he blushed, but couldn't tell for sure in the subdued lights of the gym.

Zac grinned and leaned forward, so she could hear him better. "You look really pretty, Alice." She thanked him as she saw his eyes glance up at the stage. "Poor Zac", she thought, "interested in someone that was already taken." She looked up, as well and saw Bella and Edward grin at each other. She sighed and vowed to introduce him to Stephanie before the night was over.

She turned just as Zac leaned forward to talk to her again. She giggled as they bumped foreheads. "Sorry." Zac rubbed her head and grinned. "Would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to!" Alice chirped excitedly. Zac grabbed her hand and led her onto the dance floor. As they danced, Alice looked up at Jasper singing above them and grinned at him. He winked at her, smiling, and she felt happiness bloom through her chest.

When the song was over, Zac went with Alice to find Stephanie. She and another of their friends, Janice, were standing by the refreshment table.

"Steph!" Alice squealed as she hugged Stephanie. She did the same with Janice, then she gestured to Zac. "This is Zac Lambert. Zac, this is Stephanie Anderson, and this is Janice Trenton." She smiled as Zac kissed the back of their hands just like he had done when he first met her. Both girls giggled and blushed and Alice hid her smile. Zac was incorrigible and she knew that Seth would laugh if he was here, as well.

Zac asked Stephanie to dance and Alice stayed to chat with Janice. They hadn't seen each other since school had ended last year, and they spent the time catching up. Another song started and Janice and Alice continued their conversation. Alice watched Janice look over her right shoulder to something behind her. Alice turned her head to look, thinking that Zac and Steph had returned, when she saw Matt Davidson standing there. Her stomach dropped and she suddenly felt very nervous.

"Hi, Ali." Matt said in a sad, soft voice. "How are you?" Alice turned to face him, sure to keep Janice next to her.

"I'm... good, Matt." She answered him with a small smile. "How are you?"

"Ummmm... pretty good." He mumbled, looking down at the floor. Then he looked up straight into her eyes. "I saw you at the game yesterday."

"I... I saw you, too, Matt." Alice told him, not sure why he'd brought it up. "You guys played a great game." She watched as Matt's face twisted, his lip curling up.

"Yeah... except I didn't get to play that much." He said with a sneer, his eyes intent on hers. "I did notice that your... boyfriend... has an admirer, though."

Alice looked at him, stunned, and didn't know what to say. "I... I... don't know what you mean..." She stuttered.

His face softened, and he leaned in to say whisper, "Ali, why do you put up with him? You know I care about you. I would never treat you like that."

Alice felt anger course through her. "Matt, Jasper hasn't done anything wrong. He treats me very well, thank you." She spun on her heel to walk away, and Matt grabbed onto her arm to spin her back around.

"Alice, when he finally hurts you enough, I'll be waiting for you." He assured her. Alice glared at him and pointedly looked down at her arm. He finally let her go and Alice put her hand on Janice's arm and they walked away together.

A few minutes later, Alice felt a hand on her arm again. She spun around, a fierce look on her face, to see Jasper, his brow creased with worry.

"Ali, you okay?" He asked her. Alice fell into his embrace and he stroked her back.

"I'm fine, Jas. I just ran into... someone unpleasant." She admitted, deciding not to rile him by telling him about Matt.

Jasper pulled back to look into her face. "Ali, I saw you with Matt." He told her blandly. "What did he say to you? It obviously upset you."

"It was nothing, Jas. Really." Alice assured him. At his look, she relented. "He just reminded me that he would be... waiting... if you ever... hurt me." She wouldn't look at his face as she whispered the words. She looked up when she heard Jasper sigh.

"I'm sorry he bothered you, darlin'. I'm on a break, would you dance with me?" He asked her sweetly. Alice smiled up at him, relieved that he wasn't going to make a scene about Matt. He led her onto the dance floor as recorded music began to play, and they snuggled together and swayed to the melody.

Jasper kissed Alice's fragrant hair, his eyes closed as he inhaled her scent. He loved holding her in his arms and he was grateful for high heels which made it easier for them to dance together. He chuckled deep in his chest and Alice raised questioning eyes to his.

"I was just thinking how grateful I am for high-heeled shoes. It's so much easier to hold you close when you're wearing them." He grinned at her and she grinned back.

"Well, if you weren't so dang tall... " Alice quipped, and they both laughed.

The song ended much too soon for Alice's liking, but Jasper kept his arms around her, holding her until the next song started. It was another slow song and Alice giggled.

"How did you know it was another slow song, Jas?" Alice asked him. He gave her a devilish grin.

"Well, I made the tape, so... " Jasper admitted and Alice giggled as she snuggled back into his strong, warm chest.

Once the band had taken a half hour break, they were expected to return to the stage for a few more songs before the dance was over. Jasper claimed every dance with Alice and then took her over for something to drink before leading her back to Zac and the rest of her friends.

"I'll see you after we're done, all right, darlin'?" He whispered in her ear before leaving with the other band members. Alice sighed as she watched him walk away and turned to spot Zac looking longingly after them, too. She put her hand on Zac's arm and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"How'd you get along with Stephanie?" She asked him happily, hoping to cheer him up.

Zac smiled and answered her enthusiastically. "Oh, great! She's really fun, and really pretty. Thanks for introducing us, Ali."

"Anytime, Zac. I'm glad you like her." She could still tell that he was acting a little more cheerful than he felt, but she figured he'd get over Bella when he realized that her and Edward weren't ending their relationship any time soon.

She smiled at him and turned to see what Jessica and the other girls were doing when she heard someone gasp. She looked up to see Jessica staring toward the stage. She quickly looked that way and saw Mara standing on her tiptoes next to Jasper, whispering in his ear. He was smiling and bending down toward her, his arm around her back. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she watched them and then Jasper patted Mara on the back, smiling directly into her face, and turned back to continue on to the stage. She watched as Mara turned, a triumphant smile on her face and walked toward the refreshment table. Alice bit her lip and tried to swallow the sudden lump in her throat. She turned back to her friends and pretended that there was nothing wrong. Her eyes met Zac's for a second and she thought she saw a flicker there, but then it was gone, and she was sure she had been mistaken.

After that, her heart really wasn't into dancing and she stood and chatted with the other girls and Zac. Zac took Stephanie out to dance again, and Jessica took the opportunity to talk to her about what they'd seen.

"Alice, I'm going to smack that girl, I swear I am." She declared, as she glared toward Mara, standing with some of her friends.

"It's okay, Jess. Jasper is just being friendly, don't worry about it." Alice tried to reassure her. "Thanks for sticking up for me, though." She glanced over at Mara and bit her lip, worry filling her. Mara looked really pretty, sexy, in fact. She had on a revealing, short, floaty white dress, high, strappy white heels and her hair was thick and tousled around her face and shoulders. She had really long, shapely legs and the short dress really showed them off. Her low-cut neckline showed just enough rounded skin to tempt any male in the room, and she pranced and pouted around the room like a pro.

Alice suddenly felt like a little girl and all her insecurities came flooding back. She couldn't figure out for the life of her why Jasper wanted her, when he could literally have any girl in the room. She glanced up at the stage again to see him looking right at her. He was singing one of her favorite songs, and he was singing it to her. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss. He grinned and winked, and she felt a little better. If Jasper didn't want her, he wouldn't spend so much time making her feel special, would he?


	72. The Beginning to an End

72.

The Beginning of an End

Jasper bent forward, holding Alice's chin in his hand, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Ali, tell me, what's going on?" He'd taken a break from packing up their equipment to go down to talk to her for a second and, the moment he'd seen her face, he knew something was wrong.

Alice blew out her breath in frustration. She glared at Jasper, but gritted out an answer. "For the third time, nothing, Jas. There is nothing going on." She pulled away from him and crossed her arms across her middle, her mouth curving down. "I'm not mad, or sad, or upset, or... anything. I wish you guys would just stop... babying me all the time. Geeze!"

Jasper mimicked her by crossing his arms over his chest, and gave her a stubborn look. "Well, I'll just stand here until you tell me, so you may as well get it over with. I can tell by your face that something is bothering you and I'm not giving up until you tell me."

Alice took in the tilt of his chin and the gleam in his eyes, and knew she didn't have a chance. "Fine! I saw Mara talking to you on your way back onstage. Okay? Are you happy now?"

Jasper rolled his eyes, the hardness falling from his face. "Alice... " He sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Mara is in some of my classes and we've become friends. She comes to listen to the band and she never says or does anything that makes me uncomfortable. How can I convince you that I'm not interested in her?" His eyes took on a pleading look, his face sad. He ran his hand through his hair and looked up toward the ceiling. Looking back down at her, he laid his hand on her arm. "Ali, this insecurity thing is out of control. It's driving me insane and making me paranoid. Every time I talk to a girl, I wonder if you're going to go crazy on me."

Alice's mouth fell open and her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't believe that he'd just said that. "J-Jasper Hale, you are... such a... jerk." She breathed, her lip quivering. She blinked her eyes furiously so that no one would see that she was about to cry.

Jasper threw his arms up and let out a loud sigh. "God... Alice, you know I didn't mean it literally." He looked at her face while she tried to compose herself. He laid his hands on her arms as he gazed at her affectionately. "Ali, you are not going crazy. You've just got to get over this jealously thing, that's all."

"Jasper, I'm not jealous. I'm just... nervous." Alice admitted. "You're handsome and confident, and there are a lot of girls that want to be with you. I just... can't compete."

"Nervous? More like totally insecure." Jasper gave her a frustrated look as he heard Emmett call his name. "Look, Ali. I don't have time for this right now. Can we just enjoy the rest of the night and talk about this later? I'm sleeping over again. How about we talk after everyone else has gone home? Please?"

"All right." Alice whispered as she looked down at the floor. She glanced up, giving him a small smile, and he chucked her under the chin.

"That's my girl." He chuckled. He gave her a small peck on the lips and rushed away. "Be back in a few minutes." He called over his shoulder as he ran off.

Alice felt someone walk up next to her. She glanced up to see Jessica standing next to her, her eyebrow arched in question. Alice let out a sigh. "He says they're just friends and she's not after him."

Jessica grimaced. "I don't care what Jas says, that girl is a shark. He's delusional if he thinks she just wants to be friends."

Alice turned her eyes toward the stage and saw the boys carrying the last pieces of equipment out the back stage door. She glanced over at Mara and saw her talking to Zac, but her eyes were glued to the stage. Alice felt a sinking sensation in her stomach and tried to shake it off but the feeling just wouldn't go away.

~xo-0-ox~

Emmett pulled into the Hales' driveway, and the guys got out and began to carry the band equipment into the garage. The girls pulled in a few seconds later and Alice was relieved to finally be home. She, Jessica, Bella and Rose walked into the house to find Lynnette and Esme setting dishes out on the big dining table.

"Mom, what did you guys do?" Rose asked happily, eyeing the covered plates and bowls on the table.

"We made food. What else?" Lynnette chuckled, turning to walk back into the kitchen.

"We figured you'd all be hungry since you didn't get to go out to dinner before the dance." Esme added with a grin. "Anyone hungry for tacos?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes in pleasure. "Oh my God! You're both saints, I swear! My stomach has been growling non-stop, and I know Emmett is starving." The girls all laughed and Rosalie grinned. "Well, when is he not, but you know what I mean."

The girls helped set the rest of the food out on the table and Lynnette walked out to the garage to tell the boys to come in when they were done. When she was coming back into the house, the girls could hear her talking and looked up to see her escorting Mara Lambert into the house.

"Look who came along to help out." Lynnette announced with a smile as she ushered Mara in through the door. "She and Zac came to help put the equipment away and to pick up Seth, so I invited them to stay for tacos."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hale." Mara gushed, her hand on her stomach. "I was just telling Zac that I was starving."

"Well, there's a lot of that going on around here, Mara." Lynnette laughed, her eyes twinkling at the new girl. "Don't worry, though, we have plenty."

"My, yes." Esme agreed. "With all the boys in this family, you can never have too much food."

The girls smiled, but they all looked over at Alice. She gave them a brilliant smile and continued filling glasses with ice. Soon, the boys tromped into the house and everyone but Jasper, took a seat. He came over and gave Alice a sweet kiss on the lips and helped her carry the ice-filled glasses to the table.

"I've got iced tea and lemonade on the table, or there's cola in the cooler. Help yourselves and let me know if you need anything else." Lynnette told them as the boys started to pass the taco fixings around the table.

"Aren't you having anything, Mom?" Jasper asked his mom and Esme as he helped Alice into her seat.

"No, honey. Esme and I ate earlier. Thank you for asking, though." Lynnette told him, giving him a fond smile.

"He is such a gentleman, Mrs. Hale." Mara told her, a polite smile on her face. "I've never met a boy with such nice manners. You must be so proud."

Alice noticed Jessica and Rosalie exchange looks, but she kept the smile on her face and tried to look as though she weren't interested in the conversation.

"Thank you, Mara." Jasper's mom exclaimed, a pleased grin on her face. As they walked out of the room, they heard Lynnette's words drift back. "...such a nice girl."

Alice sat there, the stupid smile on her face, watching everything around her as though in slow motion. She felt a slight touch on her arm and jolted out of her stupor.

"Darlin', would you pass me the salsa?" Jasper asked from her side. She glanced up at him and smiled.

"Sure, Jas." She reached out to pass him the bowl of salsa and her eyes slid over to Mara. Mara was engaged in happy chatter with Emmett, Seth and Zac, and didn't seem the least bit interested in what was going on down by her and Jasper. Alice sighed. Maybe it was just her imagination, after all.

~xo-0-ox~

"Oh Lord... " Emmett groaned. "That was the best meal I've had in..."

"An hour?" Brent quipped, causing the rest of the kids to crack up.

"Hey! I haven't eaten in over three hours." Emmett protested, his eyes lit with amusement. "Those cookies at the dance didn't count. They were nasty."

Rosalie laughed. "It only took you about three dozen to figure that out." Everyone laughed again and Rose suggested that they all go into the living room once they had everything cleaned up.

Jasper led Alice into the living room and plopped down in one of the large armchairs. He pulled Alice onto his lap and she giggled and snuggled into his chest as he stroked her arm. He bent down to whisper into her ear and a soft blush rose in her cheeks as she giggled again and ducked her head. Jasper's eyes sparkled as he grinned and continued to look down at her.

Rose smiled as she watched them and took immense pleasure in seeing them so happy. Jasper hadn't lost his temper in a long time and, he'd even held it together when he'd spotted Matt harassing Alice at the school tonight. She hummed contently when she felt Emmett rubbing her back and settled back against him in the other chair.

Brent began telling Seth and Zac about some of the designs that Alice had come up with for the band, and Bella added to the discussion by telling them about all the places they had played over the summer. Soon, everyone was involved in the conversation except for Alice, Rose and Mara.

Alice cuddled against Jasper, enjoying the vibration in his chest as he spoke. Though she'd watched him like a hawk, he hadn't so much as exchanged glances with Mara all evening. He'd talked to everyone equally and had paid a lot of attention to her. He'd complimented her on her dress, many times, and he'd even flirted with her outrageously while they were eating. She felt like an idiot for worrying about him being attracted to Mara.

Rose listened with half an ear as she felt herself relaxing against Emmett. She sighed in contentment, feeling that everything was right with her world. She looked around at her family and friends and felt happy that life was going so smoothly. She briefly wondered where she and Emmett would be this time next year as she planned to go wherever baseball took him, but she secretly hoped it wasn't too far away. She knew she would miss her family and hanging around with them like this.

Mara watched and listened intently to the words flowing around her. She loved the way Jasper's eyes lit up when he was talking about his music and the band. If she could just get him away from that little spoiled brat, Alice, for two seconds, she could convince him that he deserved someone who didn't need to be coddled all the time. She would please him and treat him like a man, and she knew they would both enjoy it.

Seth's eyes were bright with excitement as Brent filled him in, again, about the Battle of the Bands held at the State Fair every year. Jasper sighed as Brent started talking about being discovered and becoming famous, and he shifted Alice on his lap.

"Hey, darlin', I need to use the bathroom." He told her, lifting her gently onto the chair as he stood. "I'll be right back." Alice smiled adorably up at him and nodded as she snuggled into the heat he'd left in the seat of the chair. He couldn't wait to be alone with her later. Even though she wanted to talk about Mara, all he wanted to do was get in some serious make-out time. He and Edward had it all planned out, scary movies with Ali and Bella in the dark, now all they had to do was get the rest of their friends to leave.

"Ali?" Someone called as Alice jolted out of her doze. She looked over to see Zac, Seth and Brent looking at her expectantly.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." She said sheepishly, her eyes heavy. "I must've drifted off."

"Sorry, Ali." Brent told her. "I was just telling the guys how awesome your graphics are and they wondered if they could see them. If you tell me where they're at, I can go get them."

Alice shook her head, smoothing her dress as she stood up. "No, it's okay. They're just in the garage. I'll run get them."

Alice gave them a sleepy smile and walked out into the kitchen. She padded through the room in her stockinged feet, rubbing her chilled arms. She wished she'd grabbed a sweater when she'd left her house this afternoon. She walked out into the dimly-lit garage and went over to the work bench to get the folder out of the drawer. As she pulled out the folder, she thought she heard a faint noise behind her. With the folder in her hand, she turned and froze in shock. The folder glided silently to the floor from her suddenly nerveless fingers, its contents spilling out to fan across the cold concrete.

Stiff with disbelief, Alice turned woodenly toward the back door and slipped quietly through it and out into the night. Her mouth and eyes still wide with surprise, Alice walked as though she were sleep-walking through the wet grass. She didn't feel the dew as it soaked the thin material covering her feet, nor the cold as it reddened her toes. She only felt the urgent need to get away from the awful scene she'd witnessed as quickly as she could. The only sign that she was aware of anything around her, was when she reached up and plucked the delicate gold chain she wore, away from the skin of her throat. With a harsh jerk, the chain released its hold from around her neck and fell to the grass below, the fragile gold heart glinting in the faint light of the back yard.

Alice glided across the lawn and made it safely into the house before what she'd seen slammed into her. She closed the back door with a soft click and leaned back against it for support. Her legs giving out, she slid down the door onto the floor, where she sat for what seemed like hours, just staring into space. Her numb mind finally blocking out her pain, she rose slowly to her feet again, and trudged up the stairs. Exhausted, she finally made it up the stairs and down the hallway to her room. Mechanically, she'd locked the door and then crawled into her bed, not bothering to take off her wet stockings or dress, and burrowed under the blankets.

She felt so cold, the blankets doing absolutely nothing to alleviate her discomfort, and her teeth began to chatter. Goosebumps covered her skin and she began to shake, the trembling so violent, it rocked the bed. If she could've cried or screamed, she probably would've felt better, but she just continued to stare out of unseeing eyes. The terrible betrayal kept playing over and over in her mind, causing it to shut down further, and, thankfully, she finally drifted off into a comforting darkness. A velvety, soft darkness that not only took away the pain, but delightfully warmed her, as well.

"I'm sorry, Mara." Jasper gritted out through clenched teeth, as he pulled his mouth away from hers. "I can't do this. I love Alice."

Mara looked up at him with pleading eyes and a pout on her lips. She ran her hand down his chest again and gazed up through her lashes. "Oh, Jazzy... come on. I've been wanting you so bad. I'll be good to you, I promise." She pushed herself against him, her breasts flattened on his chest.

Jasper grimaced as her annoying baby voice grated on his nerves. He gently pushed her away from him. "No, Mara. It wouldn't be fair to Alice and, besides, I'm not attracted to you like that." He took his hands away from her and ran one through his hair. "I'm really sorry if I gave you that impression. I thought I was just being friendly."

Mara let out a huffing noise and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, I'm thinking you were sure enjoying yourself a minute ago, if what I felt in your pants was any indication."

Jasper's already flushed face turned even redder. "Well, yeah, I'm a fifteen year old guy, Mara. If a girl puts her hand there, of course I'm going to... react." He told her, exasperation in his voice. "I don't really have any control over that, but that doesn't mean I want to... do anything."

"Fine." Mara snapped. "Just remember what you could've had." She leaned forward to poke Jasper in the chest with a sharp fingernail. "I wouldn't have even told Alice. You could've had your cake _and_ eaten it, too."

"Well, I'm satisfied with waiting for my... cake." Jasper drawled, fire beginning to burn in his eyes at her audacity. "Thank you, very much." He started walking toward the door to go back into the house, when it opened from within.

"Yo', J?" Brent called, spotting him across the room. "You seen Ali?" Bella and Seth appeared in the doorway beside him, both looking at him questioningly.

Jasper shook his head. "No, I haven't seen her. Isn't she in the house?"

"No." Brent told him. "She said she was coming out here to get her graphic samples, but she never came back."

Just then, Emmett came up behind Bella, and Jasper saw both of them noticing Mara standing just beyond him. "I was just... uh... showing Mara my guitar... " He stammered taking in Bella's knowing look, his face still bright red.

As Jasper walked forward, he felt something under his foot. He looked down and saw Alice's papers spread there. Realization crashed into him and he raised panicked eyes to Emmett. Emmett, noticing the door leading into the yard was open, quickly pushed through Bella and the boys and took off through it. Jasper was hot on his heels but, by the time he touched grass, Emmett was already rushing into the house next door.

Jasper slowed, dread making his heart pound and stealing his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something glinting in the wet grass. He bent down and picked up the small gold locket he'd given Alice for her birthday. His beautiful girl had never taken it off, except to shower or swim, in all the time she'd had it. He clutched it to his chest as he took off in a desperate sprint across the yard. He had to make her understand that what she'd seen wasn't what had really happened.

~xo-0-ox~

"Ali?" Emmett called through the door. "Ali! I know you're in there. Open the door. It's me, Em. Come on, Ali Cat, let me in." He continued to pound on the door as he saw Jasper sprint up the stairs out of the corner of his eye and come down the hall toward him. He looked over at Jasper's face, taking in his guilty look and red, puffy lips. Clenching his teeth, he growled back in the direction of the door. "How could you, you... you... _asshole_? You promised me you wouldn't hurt her. You _promised_ me!"

Emmett turned fully toward Jasper who was trying to talk to him. "I don't want you near her, ever again. It's over, Jas. You're done with Ali." Jasper was shaking his head, his face desperate. "Leave her alone, I mean it."

"Em... p-please... you have to listen to me... it was h-her... M-Mara. I didn't... she wouldn't... " Emmett listened as Jasper sputtered, his mouth working like a fish out of water. "You know I adore Ali... I l-love her... p-please... " Emmett grimaced and turned back to the door.

Jasper watched as Emmett knocked again, fear clutching at his throat. "Ali? Come on, Shortcake. I know you can hear me. Come on, open the door."

Both boys listened, but could hear only silence. Emmett felt his stomach being tied up in knots. He had a really bad feeling and he knew he needed to get into that room. Stepping back, Emmett put his hand on Jasper's chest and pushed him back. Then he hurled himself at the door and he heard a loud cracking sound, but the door didn't open. He stepped back again and rammed his shoulder against the door. It sprang open, banging against the wall, and the boys burst into the room.

Jasper's eyes flew to the bed and he saw the shiny, dark hair sticking out above the comforter. He hurried over to the bed, wanting to rip off the layers hiding the small form from him, but not wanting to scare her.

"Ali... I swear, it wasn't what it looked like. Mara caught me in the hallway and asked to see my guitar. Once we were out in the garage, she kissed me. I didn't even realize what she really wanted until we went out there." Jasper pleaded, his hands hovering over the blanket, but not touching it. "I'm so sorry, Ali. I should've believed you."

Jasper and Emmett watched the small mound in the bed with anxious eyes, but it didn't move.

"Ali? It's Em." He bent over her as Jasper backed up a few steps. He reached forward and pulled the covers off of Alice's head. Jasper watched as Emmett's face drained of color and his eyes opened wide. Jasper moved closer to peer over Emmett's shoulder at Alice, and cried out as he caught sight of the frozen expression etched on her face. Her eyes were wide open, but the blankness in them scared the hell out of him.

"Alice! Answer me, damn it!" Emmett cried, turning her over on her back. Her eyes continued to stare straight ahead as her body flopped over like a doll's.

"Emmett, what's wrong with her?" Jasper gasped, fear strong on his face.

Emmett ran his hands through his hair, panic shining in his eyes. "I don't know but we better get her over to the hospital." He scooped Alice up in his arms and flew down the stairs with her. Jasper grabbed a blanket off the bed and ran behind him. As Jasper reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard voices coming in the back door.

"We're going out the front!" he hollered. "Something's wrong with Ali. We're taking her to the hospital!" Emmett was already through the front door as Rose and Bella hurried out into the living room. They ran after the boys out the front door and the four of them piled into Emmett's Jeep, Alice bundled against Jasper's chest, her eyes still staring into nothingness. Jasper stroked her face and talked softly to her the whole way but, by the time they reached the emergency room doors, there was still no change.

Carlisle held onto the back of his neck with his hand as he tried to grasp what he was being told. His hair stood on end from his hands going through it over and over, and his eyes shone with fear. Rosalie had called her mom from Emmett's phone once they were on their way to the hospital, and her and Esme had grabbed Edward and driven over in Lynnette's car. Then she'd called her dad who'd broken the news to Carlisle and had called Kyle Roush. All of them sat huddled in the conference room now as they listened to Dr. Roush as he tried to explain what was happening with their youngest.

"She's in some kind of suspended state. Not really a coma, but not conscience, either. I don't know if she can hear us or is aware of what's going on around her, but I want you to talk to her and try to bring her out of it." Dr, Roush told them. He shook his head, looking perplexed. "She was doing so well, was there some kind of... trauma, or shock?"

He watched as the kids exchanged glances and then they all looked at Jackson's son, Jasper. "Y-Yes, there was. I was... er... well, she... um... well... walked in on... a g-girl… uh... kissing me."

Kyle looked at him expectantly, not understanding.

Carlisle smiled sadly and tried to explain. "I think I told you that Jasper is Ali's... boyfriend. She's really... attached to Jasper. She has been since she was a baby. It would've been very... traumatic for her." He looked helplessly at Kyle and silently begged him to understand. "You know Ali is very fragile... I imagine that she misunderstood what she was seeing... it would've been... painful." Carlisle's voice broke and he cleared his throat, trying to blink the moisture out of his eyes.

Kyle nodded, casting sympathetic smiles at both Jasper and Carlisle. "Well, she may have just shut down to block the pain, then. From what I know of her situation, she tends to cover up how she really feels or blocks it out. This could just be an extreme case of her trying to deal with the disappointment and hurt. Monitoring her in ICU overnight may be all that she needs. I'll put a call into Dr. MacMahon so she can pop by in the morning, too. She should definitely be able to give us more foresight into what could be going on in Ali's mind."

"So, Alice? Do you honestly want me to believe that you're happier in that lame hospital gown than you were in your beautiful dress?" Rosalie told her, taking her turn next to Alice's bed. "You have no taste, girl, seriously." Bella made a little giggling noise and Rose grinned. They had decided to try bringing Alice around by taunting her about her clothes. They knew how much she had worried about picking the right dress for the dance. They watched as Alice continued to stare at the ceiling, and Rose sighed in disappointment.

Both girls looked up as the door opened. "Hey Jas." Bella said softly. She smiled sadly at him and his face clouded over.

"Nothing, huh?" He asked, running a hand over his face. "I was hoping you girls could get through to her."

Bella stood up and put her hand on Jasper's arm. "Sorry, Jas." She patted his arm and walked out of the room, leaving him and Rosalie to try to reach the small girl on the bed.

"Hey, Ali, look who's here. Jasper came to see you." Rose told her in a sing-song voice. "He really wants you to listen to him. He's got so much to tell you, sweet pea."

Jasper watched Alice's face intently, but not so much as an eyelash moved. He sat down in the chair Rosalie moved out of and began to stroke Alice's arm.

"Hi, darlin'." Jasper began, his voice rough. "I need to explain about Mara. I sure wish you'd wake up and listen to me." Just then, a nurse came through the door.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to put some drops in Miss Cullen's eyes." The nurse told them. She put a drop in each eye and blotted her cheeks with a tissue. She checked Alice's vital signs and made a tsking sound. "When are you going to come around and talk to your visitors, Alice? There's a really handsome young man here to see you." She smiled at Jasper and he gave her a half smile and looked down at the bed. The nurse looked up at Rose, sympathy on her face, and Rose gave her a thankful smile.

The nurse made a few notes on Alice's chart and headed for the door. "If you kids need anything, my name is Angela. Just let me know."

Rose nodded at her. "Thank you, Angela, we will." She looked over at Jasper sitting next to her. She rubbed his shoulder and leaned over to talk softly to him. "Don't worry, Jas. She'll be all right. She'll wake up and you can explain what happened and everything will go back to normal."

"I know." He told her, looking back down at Alice. "I just feel so bad. She tried to talk to me about Mara and I just brushed her off. She's always worried that some other girl is going to catch my eye." He looked at Rose with pleading eyes. "How come she doesn't understand how much she means to me, Rose?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know, Jas. How come she doesn't realize how much she means to all of us?"

They sat looking at Alice's frozen face and Rose reached over and brushed a tear off Jasper's cheek. "It'll be okay, Jas. I promise."

The door opened again and Emmett came in. "Any change, Rosie?" He asked. Rosalie shook her head and gave him a sad smile.

"Sorry, Em." She said as he came to stand behind her. The three of them looked at the small face before them and wondered how they could reach her.

"I sure hope this doesn't go on as long as it did the last time she was in the hospital." Emmett commented. "I don't think Mom and Dad can take it. They're both totally stressed out."

Just then, Rose let out a small gasp as Alice's eyes closed. Her dark lashes rested against the pale skin of her cheeks, fluttering slightly, and Emmett rushed over to the other side of the bed.

"Ali? Can you hear me, Munchkin?" He practically hollered at her. When there was no response, he shook her slightly. "Ali? Can you at least blink if you can hear me?"

Slowly, Alice opened her eyes and looked up at him. He grinned and let out a whoop. "Hey there, Munchkin!" He greeted her. "It's good to see you."

Rose stood up and rushed to the door. "I'll be right back." She called out as she disappeared through the door. Seconds later, the door opened again, and the rest of the family piled into the room.

"Oh Lord! It's so good to see you, Angel." Esme crooned to Alice as she came to her side. "How do you feel, sweetie?" Alice shook her head slightly and blinked her eyes. Esme poured some water out of the pitcher next to the bed and gave Alice a sip. "Better?" She asked, and Alice nodded.

Alice kept blinking her eyes and trying to keep them open, but they began to water and she shut them tight.

"Her eyes are probably sensitive from being open for so long without blinking." Carlisle told Esme when she gave him a questioning look.

They all looked up as Dr. Roush and Dr. MacMahon walked into the room. "Hello, everyone." Ashley said as she approached the bed. "How's our girl doing? Ah! She's back with us." She exclaimed as she saw Alice blinking and looking around the room. "Well, girly, you sure gave us all a scare. You do that often?"

Alice's lips twitched and Ashley patted her arm. "I'm going to let Dr. Roush examine you, and we're going to shoo your family out of here so you can get some rest, okay?" Ashley told her as Kyle Roush shone a little light into her eyes.

Alice shook her head quickly and managed to say in a raspy voice, "Mom."

Ashley nodded. "You want Mom to stay?" She asked and Alice nodded. "That should be all right, huh, Dr. Roush?"

"Of course, Dr. MacMahon. Mom's are always welcome to stay. They grinned at each other, and Carlisle shooed the kids out of the room. Jasper turned and gave Alice one last longing look before heading out the door. He knew she needed to rest, but he was anxious to explain so that she wouldn't worry about what she saw.

After a thorough examination, Dr. Roush declared Alice fine and Dr. MacMahon had a chat with her and Esme. They didn't talk about anything serious, just small talk so that Ashley could make sure that Alice's cognitive thinking was normal. Once she left them to get some rest, Esme stretched out on the chair bed, and the two of them went to sleep.

Esme leaned over Alice's bed and stroked her hair. "How you feeling this morning, Ali?"

Alice swallowed. "A little better." She managed to get out. Her throat was still sore and her eyes burned. "I'm thirsty, though."

"I'll get you some fresh water." Esme said, getting up and taking the empty pitcher out into the hallway. Alice looked up as the door opened again. Her eyes widened and a small squeaking sound came out of her dry mouth.

"No." She squeaked, shaking her head against the pillow. Jasper froze in his tracks, staring at Alice as she wildly shook her head. He moved slowly toward the bed, but she kept shaking her head, her eyes glaring at him.

"Ali, darlin', please, let me explain." He asked her, his hands out at his sides, his face anxious. He knew this would happen when they wouldn't let him talk to her last night when she woke up. "She asked me if she could see my guitar. I really didn't think there was anything to worry about. She tricked me, Ali. I didn't want to kiss her. I swear."

Alice kept shaking her head, but now she had her eyes shut tight. Esme walked back in with the water and took one look at Alice, before escorting Jasper to the door. "I'm sorry, Jas. I don't want Ali upset right now. You can talk to her later." Jasper protested, but went out into the hallway.

"There, now you can have some water and get some more rest." Esme gave Alice several sips of water and she could finally talk enough to whisper.

"Mom, I don't want him in here." She whispered to Esme, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Not at all. Please."

"But Alice, he's so upset." Esme protested, but sighed in defeat when Alice continued to shake her head wildly on the pillow. "Okay, Angel, okay. You can talk to him once you get home." Esme told her, smoothing her daughter's hair off her face.

"Nothing to say." She managed to whisper before her voice gave out again. Esme gave her a sympathetic smile as she helped her sip some water.

"It's for the best, honey. I know you don't see that right now, but Alice needs to rest more than anything, and you going into her room will just upset her again." Esme tried to break it to him gently as she rubbed his back, but Jasper was still shocked that they weren't going to let him see Alice. He looked over at Carlisle and could see that he was on his wife's side. He then turned pleading eyes to his dad.

"Dad, I need to talk to her, to try and explain." Jasper insisted, though he knew it was useless. "She has to believe me." He whispered in defeat, turning back to his chair, his eyes filling with tears again.

He sat down next to Rose and she put her arm around him. "It's okay, Jas. She's just upset right now. She'll get over it once she's well enough for you to talk to her."

Jasper nodded half-heartedly, he knew he wouldn't get to see her until she went home. Even his dad had sided with the Cullens and he felt any hope of making Alice understand, slipping away.

~xo-0-ox~

Ashley MacMahon giggled at Alice as they sat talking in the sunny visitor's room. "Your brother is hilarious, Ali. I have never met someone who could make me laugh so hard. Laughter is the best medicine. Wouldn't it be great if we could bottle him?"

Both girls giggled again and Ashley stood up. "Well, I guess I should let your mom take you home, now, huh?" Ashley asked her as she saw Esme walk into the room. "I bet you can't wait to get out of this place. They're supposed to make you well, but the food'll kill ya'." Ashley joked and the three girls laughed.

"Actually, the food wasn't that bad." Alice piped up. "But the gowns are hideous."

They all laughed again. "I'll say." Ashley quipped. "I wouldn't be caught healthy in them." Alice shook her head and groaned. "Bad, I know. Hey, I'm a doctor, not a comedian."

They laughed again and said good-bye. "I'll see you in my office bright and early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, I want you resting, girly, and call me if there are any problems or questions."

Esme thanked Ashley and led Alice over to the wheelchair to be taken down to the car. "Ashley is a riot, isn't she?" Esme asked as they walked down the hall.

"She is!" Alice enthused. "She just cracks me up. She's like Emmett's female counterpart."

Esme laughed. "Just what we need, two Emmetts."

Alice nodded, giggling. "I know. That's a scary thought, huh?"

Everyone was glad to see Alice make it home. She's only been in the hospital for three days, but there was a lot of anxiety associated with what had put her there. No one knew how to bring the subject up, even Ashley had suggested that they let it alone until Alice brought it up herself. As for Jasper, he was beside himself. He wasn't allowed to see Alice until she asked for him. Even at school they'd asked him to give her space until she was ready to face what had happened. He was convinced that she wouldn't ask for him, not after the way she'd acted at the hospital, and he was so tense with worry that he was barely sleeping.

"Em!" Jasper called when he saw Emmett and Edward in the parking lot at school. He ran up to them, anxiety making him impatient. "Do you think I could see Alice today?"

Emmett sighed and ran his hand over his face. "Look, Jas, I'm really sorry that you can't see Ali, I am, but you need to just leave her alone."

Jasper looked desperately at Edward. "Edward, please understand. I didn't mean for that to happen. I never would've gone in the garage with her if I'd known."

Edward shook his head and put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "I know." He said, sympathetically. "We all feel bad for you, Jas. My parents are especially upset, but none of us knows what to do. Alice is adamant that she doesn't want to see you."

"Jas, give her time, okay?" Emmett added, sorrow for Jasper evident in his expression. "That scene in the garage just confirmed all of her worst fears. She just doesn't feel she can face you right now."

"Does she... did anyone... did you tell her?" Jasper tripped over his words, and Emmett tried to relieve his stress some.

"I did, Jas. We weren't supposed to bring it up, but I asked her why she didn't want to see you and I assured her that you weren't willing when Mara kissed you. She just nodded and turned away from me in her bed." Emmett sighed. "I got chewed out for bringing it up, too. My mom and dad were not happy."

Jasper looked at the ground. "Sorry, Em. Thanks for trying, though."

Edward and Emmett walked with Jasper into the school and went to their classes. Jasper drifted through the days, mechanically participating when needed, but otherwise unengaged. In football, he was benched for the most part, and Matt made sure to taunt him whenever possible. Jasper just shrugged his shoulders, any angst toward Matt forgotten, as he gazed at the field, his mind elsewhere.

"Mom, do I have to go to school today?" Alice asked Esme for the fifth time that morning. "I'm still not feeling that great."

Esme gave her a stern look. "Alice Anelle Cullen, if you ask me that one more time, I'm tempted to put you over my knee and paddle you. Now finish getting ready so we can get to the office before classes start."

Alice rolled her eyes and sighed. She felt fine, except for the ache in her chest, but she knew she'd have to see Jasper, and she just didn't want to. It'd been over a week since she'd seen him last, and she knew her heart couldn't handle it right now. All she could see was him kissing that... girl... and her hand on his pants. She tried again to block the scene from her mind, but it wouldn't go away. To make matters worse, all of her blocked memories from the last time Jasper had hurt her, had all come flooding back. Ashley assured her that getting them back was a good thing, but all she'd known was that it hurt.

The pain when Jasper had told her he was going out with Savannah again. The shock when she'd found out that he'd had sex with her and, worst of all, the crushing blow when she'd realized that Jasper had used her repressed memories against her to get her to go out with him again. She just couldn't go through that any more. Even if he was innocent of this last digression, she'd seen him kissing Mara back, and he hadn't been in a big hurry to push her roaming hand away, either. As far as she could see, this was her opportunity to end things with Jasper before she got hurt so bad that she'd never recover.

Alice took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. She could do this. How hard could it be? They only had two classes and lunch together, and the classes would be easy. Lunch, however, was going to be difficult, and she was thinking that she might go to the library instead of the cafeteria. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, but she wasn't going to discuss anything with him at school.

She took her stuff downstairs where her mom was waiting for her and got into the car. Esme gave her a compassionate look and then turned to back out of the garage. Alice felt a jolt in her gut, she really had to do this. She prayed that she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of everyone.

~xo-0-ox~

"Hey Ali!" Alice looked over her shoulder to see Zac jogging toward her. She closed her locker and turned as he reached her. He gave her a searching look. "I... just want you to know... I had no idea..."

Alice put her hand on his arm. "Zac, it's okay. I don't blame you."

Zac looked relieved. "Thanks, Ali. I feel really bad, though. I know Mara can be a bitch, but I didn't know how bad."

"Hey, you can't really blame her for trying." Alice quipped, a fake bright smile on her face. "Especially when the prize is so willing."

"Alice, you know that's not true." Zac admonished her as they started down the hall.

Alice looked him right in the eye. "Do I?"

Jasper watched Alice and Zac walk down the hall from his hiding place in the doorway of the bathroom. He wasn't going to approach her at school, he'd promised Emmett, but he had to see her. She looked thin and pale, but otherwise all right. He wanted to go up and hug her so bad, it was all he could do to stop himself, but he just clutched the small heart hanging around his neck instead and walked to his first class.

"Hey, Edward." Bella greeted as he set his lunch tray down on the table. "Ali's back today, huh?"

"Yeah." Edward mumbled as his eyes caught Jasper walking up next to him. "She's back."

"Oh, good." Jessica said. "I've really missed her. She's feeling okay?"

"Uh... yeah." Edward told them, still aware of Jasper next to him.

"I bet you're glad she's back, huh, Jas?" Brent commented before Jessica could kick him under the table. Brent looked surprised. "What?"

"It's all right, Jess." Jasper said, dejectedly. "Brent, Alice won't see me."

Brent looked at him blankly. "What do you mean?"

"She's refused to see or talk to me since she saw me with Mara in the garage." Jasper told him sadly.

"Oh, man, Jas... I'm really sorry, man." Brent apologized. "I didn't... know."

"It's okay." Jasper said. "Don't worry about it."

Everyone looked at each other around the silent table. Jasper sat with his head down, picking at his lunch. No one knew what to say or do, so they all began eating, each keeping to themselves. Finally, Bella tried to change the subject.

"So, we practicing today, you guys?" She asked. They all looked at Jasper who finally looked up when he realized they were all waiting for him. "Would you mind if I didn't?" He asked. "I'm just not... in the mood."

"Uh... sure, that's understandable." Brent muttered awkwardly, looking to Bella and Edward for help. They looked at each other, at a loss of words, as well.

"Yeah, uh... we can take a break for a few more days, huh?" Edward contributed. "We don't have any gigs set up for a while, why not?"

"You're right. I think Ali said our next gig isn't until February." Brent added, looking over at Bella as she made a small noise.

"Brent!" She hollered at him. He looked at her with a blank expression.

"What?" He asked, looking around the table. Everyone looked at him in disgust, Jessica rolling her eyes.

Jasper looked around at them as well. "I'm not hungry. I'll see you guys later." He got up and dumped his lunch in the trash as he walked out of the room.

"Did you have to mention Ali?" Bella said, frowning at Brent.

"It's all right, Bella." Edward interrupted. "Jas'll just have to get used to it, eventually he and Alice will run into each other."

"Yeah... I know... I just wish she would listen to him." Bella looked sad as everyone nodded. They were all upset that two of their own were hurting, but they didn't know what to do about it. "Edward? Can't you get her to listen?"

Edward shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not getting involved in this thing between Ali and Jas. Besides, Emmett feels that it's for the best, so I'm going to go along with what he thinks."

"Even if it means that your sister and your best friend are miserable?" Brent gasped.

Edward nodded his head, his eyes touching on each face around him. "Yep, though I'm not sure that Ali is all that miserable. Except for avoiding Jasper, she seems pretty content actually."

Bella frowned at him, her face puzzled. How could Alice be content when the shock of seeing her love kissing another girl, had sent her into a schizophrenic episode? She didn't know how she would feel if she caught Edward kissing another girl, but she knew it wouldn't be good. She shook her head wondering where the heck Ali was anyway.


	73. Chapter 73

73.

Just Peachy

Alice rushed into the classroom and slid into her seat just as the bell rang.

"That was close, Miss Cullen." Mr. Huber admonished her as she smiled weakly at him.

"Where have you been, Ali?" Bella whispered, as she and Seth leaned toward Alice, waiting for her answer.

Alice looked at the teacher and then glanced at Bella out of the corner of her eye. "The library." She hissed. "Now, be quiet, Bella, you're going to get me in more trouble."

Bella looked at Alice with shock. She'd never heard Alice talk to anyone that way. She looked toward Seth.

"More trouble?" Seth whispered, his eyes catching Bella's.

"Shhhhhhhh... I'll tell you later." Alice hissed as she watched the teacher and started taking notes.

"Put your papers on my desk as you leave and don't forget to bring your textbooks tomorrow." Mr. Huber, their History teacher told them as the bell rang and the students started filing out of the classroom.

Bella whirled on Alice and she felt Seth walk up behind her. "What's going on, Ali? What kind of trouble did you get into?" She immediately asked as Alice gathered her things. Alice kept her eyes down as she got her stuff together and began to move toward the front of the classroom. Bella and Seth followed behind her and they each set their finished quiz on the teacher's desk and went out the door.

Bella grabbed Alice's arm, and she and Seth herded her out of the way of the flood of students. "Ali, come on. What happened?" Bella insisted, her worried eyes taking in her friend's flushed face.

"Edward and Jasper got into a fight as I was coming out of the library. Jasper figured out that's where I was and he was waiting for me. When Edward left you after lunch, he saw Jas and started yelling at him." Alice sighed and looked down. "They're in the dean's office right now."

Seth and Bella looked at each other over Alice's head. "I'm sorry, Ali." Seth said, not knowing what else to say.

She looked up at him with a small smile on her face. "Thanks, Seth, it'll be alright." She turned to Bella . "They didn't hit each other, or anything, they were just yelling. I was walking out of the library and I could hear them before I even saw them."

"Why don't you just talk to Jasper, Ali?" Bella asked, irritation coloring her voice. "You could fix all of this if you'd just listen to him."

Alice's face fell as she realized that Bella didn't understand. "I... can't, Bella... he doesn't... treat me... right. I need to... work things out... for myself f-first." She begged Bella to understand with her eyes and Bella put her arm around her small shoulders.

"Okay, Ali. I'm sorry. I just know that Jasper's miserable." She told Alice. "Emmett and Edward are miserable, too. They want to do what's right for you, but they're having a hard time seeing Jasper so upset."

"I know, Bella. I can't change how I feel, though. I love Jasper, and I'm miserable, too, but I just can't go back to the way things were. Not after what happened." Alice glanced behind her at Seth, then back at Bella. "You didn't see what... happened. He was... k-kissing her back and... her h-hand..." She shook her head, making a small choking sound in her throat. "Then, the lies about Savannah... I'm not putting myself through it any... more."

"I for one, think you have to do what's right for you, Ali." Seth told her pushing a lock of her hair out of her eyes. "You can't make decisions because it'll make other people happy. You do that too much already."

Alice gave Seth a bright smile. "Thank you, Seth. I don't want anyone to be unhappy, but I can't keep on the way things were."

"Good for you, Ali." Seth said, patting her on the shoulder. He looked at Bella and saw her look of indecision. "Bella, I know you want everyone to be happy, but you have to agree that Alice has to put her own happiness first."

Bella looked up with startled eyes. "I do... it's just... well, their families are so close... and the band... " Bella stopped suddenly, biting her lip, she nodded. "You're right. Ali, you have to come first. I'm sorry! What was I thinking?"

Alice giggled and raised her brow at her. "You were thinking about a certain keyboard player, maybe?"

Bella chuckled. "Yeah... I guess. I just want everything back the way it was, but that's really selfish of me. I'm sorry, Ali." She gave Alice a tight hug and Alice squeezed her back.

"I understand, Bells, I do... we'll figure it out." Alice told her as the three friends walked down the hallway towards the dean's office.

~xo-0-ox~

"Emmett! You don't really think that?" Alice, Bella and Seth heard Rosalie before they actually saw her.

"Well, Rose, if you'd have listened to me way back when this thing first started, we wouldn't be having this problem. You always stick up for Jas, no matter what he does." Emmett stated, his face furious.

Alice stood with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open as she watched them. She'd never heard Emmett raise his voice at Rose before.

"Emmett Cullen, he's my brother..." Rose sputtered, her hands on her hips.

"And Ali's my sister." Emmett interrupted, firmly, bending down so their noses were almost touching.

"Fine!" Rosalie hollered, putting one hand on Emmett's chest, she pushing him away. "I was just trying to get things back to normal, but if you want to act like a big ass, go ahead. I'll take my brother home and you can take yours. Don't bother coming over or calling me later, either." With that, Rosalie barged into the office and closed the door behind her.

Emmett's face was dark and dangerous looking, and the three younger kids just stood there watching him. Emmett turned to pace the floor, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, when he spotted them.

"Oh... hey, guys..." His eyes lit on Alice's worried face and he tried to make his expression calm. "How ya' doin'?"

"Um... we're... uh... good, Em." Seth answered hesitantly and Bella just nodded.

Alice stared at the floor clutching her books to her chest. The office door opened and Rose and Jasper came out. Rose looked at them with hurt eyes and a grim mouth and steered Jasper on down the hallway. Jasper's head hung in shame, but his eyes drank in Alice's despondent form as they passed. She wouldn't look at him, but he knew she was upset and he yearned to just hold her.

The door opened again, and Edward walked out, a look of shame on his face, as well. "Sorry, Em." He whispered when he saw his brother's face.

Emmett reached out and ruffled his hair. "It's okay, Ed. We'll work this out." He sighed and looked over at Ali. "You ready to head home, Short Stuff?"

Alice nodded her head, but kept her eyes on the floor. "Bye, Seth... Bella. Talk to you later." She mumbled as she walked over to her brothers.

"Either of you need a ride?" Emmett asked looking at Bella and Seth. Seth shook his head.

"No, thanks. My... uh... sister... drives us..." He told them, his face flushing. "I'll see you all later." He gave Bella one last small smile and left.

Bella looked over to see Edward staring at her. "Um... is it alright if I come with you guys?" Bella asked tentatively. Edward smiled.

"It's fine with me." He said enthusiastically. He looked at Emmett who grinned at him.

"Yeah, of course it's alright, Bells. Come on, let's go." Emmett started down the hall toward the parking lot and Bella put her arm around Alice as they followed behind Emmett.

"It'll be alright, Ali." Bella told her soothingly. "Hang in there, hon." Alice looked up at her gratefully, but then glanced over at Edward to see him looking at her with hard eyes. He looked startled for a minute and looked away, but Alice's heart sank. She was making a mess of everything.

~xo-0-ox~

Jasper laid on his bed, his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. How had his life gotten so screwed up? He jumped as the phone lying next to him on the bed, vibrated. He looked at it with a puzzled frown. Just about anyone who would text him, wasn't speaking to him at the moment. He glanced at the screen and sat up abruptly, a huge grin on his face.

_Alright, Jas, you win. I'll talk to you. _

_Meet me by the pool after dinner. _

_~ Ali _

Jasper was so excited. He didn't think she'd ever talk to him. It was such a relief to be able to put this all behind them. He could make up with Edward, and Emmett would stop acting so awkward around him, and he and Rose would stop being mad at each other. Best of all, he'd get to hold Ali again.

_OK! I'll be there._

_Luv u!_

_Jas_

He flopped back onto his bed, the grin on his face even bigger. God! He couldn't wait until after dinner.

The minute dinner was over, Jasper flew through cleaning off the table and rushed up to his room.

_You guys done eating yet? _

_Text me when you're ready, K?_

_Jas xx_

Alice swallowed thickly. It was now or never, she might as well get it over with. She didn't want to hear about the scene in the garage again, it was still painfully fresh in her mind as it was, but she decided to talk to Jasper so that everyone could stop being mad at each other, because of her.

_I'll be there in 5 minutes._

She grabbed her sweater and slipped on her shoes as she headed out the back door. She looked up to see Jasper running toward her.

"Oh, Ali! I'm so glad that you decided to talk to me." He said as he came to a stop in front of her. His face was lit up and a huge grin stretched across it. He grabbed her into a hug, but released her when he noticed her shivering. Frowning, he continued. "Darlin', if you're cold, we can talk in the house."

Alice shook her head. "No, I don't want you getting into a fight with Edward again."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna' fight with Edward, Ali. Your comfort is more important anyway." He put his hand on her arm. "We could go to my house. Mom and Rose are busy, so they won't bug us, and my dad is working."

Alice nodded, she was already freezing. "Okay." Jasper put his arm around her shoulders and escorted her over to his house. He let them in the back door and ushered Alice into the living room. He led her to the couch and, as she sat, he laid a blanket over her lap. He gave her a big smile and was practically bouncing in place.

"I'll be right back." Jasper enthused as he went back into the kitchen.

Alice sat there awkwardly looking around. She wanted to get this over with, but she could hear Jasper moving around in the kitchen. Finally, he came back out with a cup in his hand. He set it down on the table in front of Alice and sat next to her on the couch.

"I made you some hot chocolate, Ali. That'll warm you up." Jasper beamed at her happily.

Alice looked up at him with sad eyes and gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Jasper. I appreciate that."

She took the cup and sipped the hot liquid, waiting for him to talk. After a short silence, he finally cleared his throat.

"I... I'm sorry about what... happened, Ali." He began hesitantly. "I swear I didn't plan it... you know I would never hurt you like that."

Alice turned to face him. "Do I, Jas?" She asked him softly, her face blank. "I should tell you that my memories... came back. I remember everything, Jas."

At this admission, Jasper looked startled and then guilty. He reached up and ran his hand through his hair. "Oh... wow... well, that's... good, right?" He asked her uncertainly.

"I don't know." She told him softly. "I do know that the memories hurt, which is why I probably suppressed them in the first place." She took another sip of her cocoa, watching him over the rim of her cup.

"I... I... don't know what to... say, " He muttered, the elation wiped off his face. "I am sorry... for what it's worth. I'm an idiot, Ali, I know... but I never meant to hurt you."

"I know, Jas" She sighed, looking down into her cup.

"The thing with Mara... I... came out of the bathroom... she was waiting in the hallway. She asked to see my guitar... said she was thinking about taking lessons and what kind of guitar should she get." Jasper quickly explained. "Stupid me, I didn't ask her why she didn't ask her brother. I was all... oh, yes, ask me, I'm the guitar expert... " He shook his head in self-disgust. "What a dumb-ass. I fell right into her plan."

He looked down at his hands. "Anyway, I took her out to the garage and she strolled over to look at Rose's car. When I went over there, she kind of threw herself against me and knocked me off balance. When I caught her and tried to regain my feet, she kissed me and put her hand on the front of my... pants." He looked up at Alice, his eyes beseeching her to understand. "I was so... shocked, Ali. I didn't respond right away, and I just... stood there. You must've come in right then, because I pushed her away as soon as I came to my senses."

Jasper sat looking at Alice, waiting for her to say something, but Alice just kept looking into her cup.

Jasper rubbed the back of his neck and shifted on the couch. "Anyway, she wanted to... uh... do stuff with me... she even told me that she wouldn't tell you. I can't believe her. I don't know what the big deal is, I mean, there are plenty of guys at school who would love to... uh... take what she offered. Why's she trying to be with me? And with her brothers being our friends, too. I don't get it."

Alice looked up at him finally. "I get it, Jas. You're hot. To her, you're like a prize."

Jasper wrinkled up his face. "Whatever, Ali."

"It's true, Jas. My doctor explained it to me. She said Mara seems like the kind of girl who only cares about herself and what others think of her. If she can flaunt the best of everything, she thinks people will look up to her, envy her, even, and that makes her feel superior." Alice watched his face as he thought over what she said. "She thinks you're... the best."

Jasper made a face and shook his head. "Well, I still don't get it. There're lots of hot guys... look at... Ian! Her and Kristy hang together, why hasn't she tried to get Ian?" Jasper wanted to know.

"I don't know, Jas. You'd have to ask her." Alice told him tiredly. She set her cup down and clasped her hands together. "All I do know, is that our families are having a really hard time because of us. I don't want them to suffer any more. We've got to figure out what we're going to do so that things can go back to normal."

Jasper looked confused. "Well, everything is back to normal, isn't it?"

Alice sighed again. "Jasper... I don't want... things to be... the way they were."

"What do you mean, Ali? '_The way they were_'? With me trusting Mara?" Jasper asked her, perplexed.

Alice shook her head, a sad expression on her face. "I don't think we should go together any more, Jas."

At his protest, she put up her hand. "I listened to you, now I'd like you to listen to me." She said sternly. "I can't go back to worrying all the time, Jas. I don't want to worry about some other girl stealing you away, and I don't want to feel like I can't talk to someone, or go somewhere, without you being mad at me."

"But, Ali... I won't, I promise. I'll be... perfect!" Jasper told her, trying to capture her hands in his.

"Jasper, please, stop it." Alice snapped pulling her hands away. "I love you, but I have to do this for both of us. I talked to my doctor... "

"Oh! I see what this is about." Jasper crossed his hands over his chest and scowled. "The great Dr. Ashley thinks you shouldn't go out with me any more, so you won't." Jasper said angrily . "Who the hell is she? She doesn't even know me."

Alice looked disappointed, but was more sure than ever that she was making the right decision. "See, Jas? Look at you. The minute I don't do or say what you want, you're mad and blaming someone else. I can't live like that. I'm not even fourteen years old yet. We're both way too young to be in such a serious relationship. I'm sorry, Jas." She stood up to go and Jasper jumped up and held her by her upper arms.

"Please, Ali... you say you love me. We can work it out. We have lots of time to make things between us better." He pleaded, his eyes desperate, his hands squeezing her arms. "I've always been there for you, you know you can count on me."

"Is that so?" Alice demanded, her anger surfacing again. "What about when you pushed me aside to go out with Savannah again?" Alice asked him. "I was so happy, Jas, then I find out that you had... sex with her." She spat out, a shudder running through her. "Once she moved on, you used my... weakness... against me... to get me to go out with you again. That's... just... underhanded, Jas."

Jasper was lost. He didn't know what to say as he just gaped at Alice. She was right and he could think of nothing to defend himself with. "I... I... didn't ask you out again because Savannah... moved on... I love you, Ali. When you hurt your head, I was devastated."

"You felt guilty, you mean." Alice shot back, glaring stubbornly up at him.

Jasper was shocked that she was standing up to him. He liked it, but it wasn't to his advantage and he didn't know how to respond. "I did feel guilty, but I was more upset that you might never... wake up." Tears filled his eyes as they roamed over her face. "God, Ali, I'd never been so scared in my life. I wouldn't even leave your room in case you... died... while I was gone." Jasper choked on his words and tried to compose himself.

"I know, Jas." Alice whispered sympathetically and took his hand in hers. He squeezed it and smiled lovingly at her.

"We can work it out, Ali, you'll see." He said, as he squeezed her hand again. "All relationships have their ups and downs. All that matters is that we love each other."

Alice shook her head, still holding his hand. "Maybe some day, Jas, but not now." She watched his face fall and her heart clenched. This was so hard and she wanted to give in, but she was learning to be strong and she couldn't do that to herself.

Jasper drew her to him by her hand. He bent down and looked into her eyes as he brushed her lips with his own. Encouraged by her stillness, he slid his hands around her waist and deepened the kiss. When he tried to slip his tongue into her mouth, Alice pulled her mouth away and turned her head.

He released her and his face got hard. "Fine! Just like that, huh? You're going to throw away everything we've meant to each other, all these years, just like that?" He snapped his fingers in her face and she flinched. He bent down so that his face was inches from hers and she stared at him, her eyes widening. "Fine, Ali. Do what you want, but don't expect me to just... wait around for you. I've got needs and, as a single guy, I can't be expected to just... sit around and wait for you to come to your senses."

Alice felt her face start to burn. "You're such a... jerk, Jasper Hale! I can't believe I let you... touch me!" She stomped her foot and made a screeching sound in frustration. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr!" With that, she pushed past him and stormed for the door.

"Ali! Wait! I'm sorry." Jasper called after her, hurrying to catch up to her. He grabbed her by her arm and spun her around. "I'm sorry, Ali. Please, just wait." She glared up at him and he felt his stomach drop. "Can't we talk about this some more?" He asked her half-heartedly, but he knew he'd just blown it.

"Jasper, you're lucky I talked to you this time." She told him, shaking with her anger. "Don't count on it ever happening again." She yanked her arm away and walked out the back door.

Jasper sank into a chair and put his head into his hands. He didn't even look up when his mom walked into the kitchen.

"Jasper, was that Ali I heard? What happened?" Lynnette asked worriedly when she saw his face.

"It's over, Mom. She doesn't want to talk to me... at all." He groaned as he lowered his forehead to the kitchen table. "I'm such an idiot."

~xo-0-ox~

"It's for the best, Ali." Emmett tried to soothe his baby sister as she sobbed against his chest. She lifted her little face up and looked at him with teary eyes.

"It's easy for you to say that, Em. You don't have everyone mad at each other because of you." Ali lowered her face into her hands, her shoulders shaking. "Why couldn't Jas and I just stay... friends?" She moaned, her voice scratchy from crying.

Emmett shook his head, his heart aching for her. "I don't know, Short Stack. Growing up sucks sometimes, doesn't it?"

Alice looked up at him again and nodded her head. He gave her a sympathetic smile and stroked her face. "Things will get better, it may take a while, but they will." He bent down to look into her face when she lowered it again. "They will, I promise."

A small smile crept onto her face and she nodded again. "Okay, Em." She whispered. "It's just so hard."

He hugged her to him and nodded, his own eyes glimmering with moisture. "I know it is."

Emmett sat at the table alone after Alice went up to her room. Edward and Bella were in the living room watching some movie, and his mom and dad had gone out to dinner with some friends. He put his head in his hand and sighed. He had to make things right between him and Rosalie. He loved Jasper like a brother, hell, he was his best friend, but, in this, he and Rose were wrong. He fully believed that Alice and Jasper needed a break from each other. Rose, on the other hand, kept saying that the two of them didn't need a break and that Alice was over-reacting. He knew that Jasper hadn't pursued Mara, but he'd been really hard on Alice since their relationship had changed, and he hated seeing Alice being treated that way. She deserved better, and Jasper and Rose couldn't see it.

A noise at the door brought Emmett's head up. Edward looked at him, regret in his eyes.

"I'm sorry about what happened, Em. If I hadn't started fighting with Jas, you and Rose wouldn't be mad at each other." He sat down next to Emmett and put his hand on his arm. "Maybe you two can talk it out tomorrow." He suggested, trying to boost his brother's mood.

Shaking his head, Emmett sounded sad. "Not this time, Ed. I'm not giving in, and Rose won't see my side in this. I have to think of Ali. I can't let things go back the way they were. Then Ali will feel forced into going back with Jas and he'll never learn to treat her right." Emmett stood up and gave his little brother an encouraging smile. "It'll work itself out, we just have to get through it."

Edward stood up, as well, and sighed. "Alright, Em. Let me help, if I can, though, Okay?"

Emmett patted him on the back. "Just support our sister, Edward. Be there for her and don't judge her. That's all I ask." Edward nodded as Emmett patted him again and went up to his room.

Carlisle and Esme weren't happy when they heard about the boys getting into a fight at school. Emmett had handled it nicely, but they still wanted to talk to Edward. When they got home that evening, they asked him to come into Carlisle's office.

After explaining what happened and why he did what he did, Edward watched as his mom and dad for any clues as to what they were thinking. Finally, his dad cleared his throat.

"Well, Edward, I'm not saying it's okay to fight, but I do understand that this is a difficult time for all of you kids. My suggestion is, that you let your sister and Jasper handle this themselves, and you and Jas go back to the way you were. As pleased as I am that you want to defend Ali, fighting with Jas isn't going to make things better." Carlisle glanced up at Esme, uncertainty on his face.

"What your dad is trying to say, dear, is that you can't settle this for your sister. You have to let her deal with this herself. Essentially, we're telling you that it's none of your business." Esme looked at her husband to see an encouraging smile on his face.

"Don't misunderstand me, I don't want you to sit by and let Alice be hurt, but her and Jasper are going to have to work this out, and you can't do it for them." She watched her son intently. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Edward?"

Edward looked up from his hands and nodded, guilt shining from his eyes. "I understand. Emmett and Rose are mad at each other, too." He confessed, looking away from his parents. "They argued over Jas and I fighting, and Emmett said he's not going to make up with her."

Carlisle looked surprised at this, but Esme just nodded slowly. "Well, he feels strongly about Ali's decision and he's going to stand behind her no matter what." Esme sighed and shook her head. "I can't tell you what to do in your friendship with Jasper, honey, but you've been friends a long, long time. I'd think about what you want before doing or saying anything else. You can be friends with him and still be a good brother to Ali." She walked over to him and ruffled his hair. "Think about it." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, get some sleep. Morning will come mighty early."

Edward nodded and stood up to give his dad an embrace. "Thanks, you guys. I'll try not to fight with Jas any more." He headed for the door. "Good night."

"Night, son. Sleep well." Carlisle said as Edward left the room and shut the door behind him. "Well, thanks to you, that went better than I expected." He told his wife as she settled on his lap.

"Well, don't expect things to be totally calm around here for a while." Esme warned her husband. "I have a feeling things will get worse before they get better."

Carlisle squeezed his eyes and groaned. "Why did we have kids, again?"

Esme laughed as he hugged her to him and covered her lips with his.

~xo-0-ox~

"Hey, Jas." Edward greeted his friend hesitantly. "I wanted to... apologize for... starting in on you yesterday. It wasn't my... place and, I'm sorry."

Jasper's eyes widened at Edward's words and a small smile came to his face. "Thanks, Ed... I'm sorry, too." They shook hands and started moving down the school hallway toward their first classes.

"So, do you think we should try and write some new songs for the band since we don't have any gigs for a few weeks?" Jasper asked and Edward's eyes lit up as they launched into band talk.

The morning went by quickly and Jasper tried to act normally. He hadn't seen Alice at all yet today, and he decided that he would be the one to sit out lunch today if it made her uncomfortable to sit at the same table with him. As he walked toward the lunch room, he spotted Brent coming toward him.

"Hey Jas!" Brent called, jogging up to him. "How ya' doin' today?"

"I'm doing okay, Brent." Jasper told him, his face weary. "I just need to get my head wrapped around it, ya' know?"

Brent nodded as he and Jasper walked into the cafeteria. Everyone they usually sat with was already at their table, including Alice, and Jasper hesitated when he saw her there. Brent looked back at him and motioned for him to keep following him.

"Hey guys!" Brent called as he sat down and pulled Jasper into the chair next to him. Alice was sitting at the other end talking with Bella and Jessica, and Brent figured they could at least eat lunch together. "So, how're you all doin' today?" Brent asked, trying to break the ice as everyone had gotten quiet.

"Um... really good, Brent." Edward answered looking around the table. "How about you?"

Brent nodded. "I'm good." He looked over at Jessica. "How're you today, Jess?" He grinned at her and gave her a wink.

"I'm just peachy, Brent." She deadpanned, and then spoiled the effect by giggling. Soon, everyone was giggling and talking somewhat normally. Brent looked up to see Alice watching him. She winked at him and he gave her a huge grin and winked back.

After lunch, things went back to normal, for the most part. Alice continued to avoid Jasper, but it was really hard since he'd always been the one she'd turned to first. She caught him looking longingly at her a few times, and she wanted to give in to him so bad, but she just couldn't let herself. She needed to do this for herself, like Ashley'd said, if she didn't do it now, she may never get her family to respect her.

Alice was about to make her way out to the football field when she felt someone walk up next to her. She looked up and saw Seth standing next to her.

"How ya' doin', Ali?" He asked her, a guilty look on his face.

Alice nodded and gave him a small smile. "I'm doing alright, Seth. How about you?"

He nodded, too. "I'm okay. I still feel bad about my sister, but..."

Alice put her hand on Seth's arm. "Seth, I told you, it's not your fault. You sister did what she did because she wanted to. It has nothing to do with you."

"I know." Seth said, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "I still feel bad, though. I can't believe that she did that. Well, I can believe it, but I wish she wouldn't have."

"I'll live, Seth. Jasper and I will work things out. This is probably a good thing, actually. We needed a little break." Just then, Alice heard Seth draw in a big breath and looked over to see Jasper standing in the hallway with Mara. She had her hand on his chest and was leaning into him, talking and laughing. Jasper just stood there, but he was smiling, too.

Alice spun on her heel as she heard Seth mumble. "God, she's such a bitch."

Alice went down the hall and around the corner. She stopped once she was out of sight of Jasper and Mara, and leaned heavily against the wall.

'_Well, I guess they'll both get what they want now.'_ Alice thought, picturing the scene in the garage all over again. She heard the small moan that had come from Mara as she'd kissed Jasper. She remembered how he'd had his eyes closed and looked like he was enjoying himself, her hand on his pants, softly kneading him. She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she refused to shed them, especially here where everyone would know what she was crying for.

She looked up into Seth sympathetic face as he walked up to her. "You alright, Ali?" He asked her, watching her face closely.

Alice nodded. "Yeah... " She muttered, wiping at her eyes. "It'll just take some... getting used to."

"I'm really sorry." Seth said softly, wincing at the pain on Ali's face.

Alice let out a little harsh laugh. "Well, I'm not. This just confirms that I'm doing the right thing." Alice nodded, her mouth in a determined line.

"Well, let's get to History so we can get it over with." Seth encouraged as he propelled Alice down the hallway. "Thank God it's Friday. What a stressful week, huh?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You can say that again."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

**Important Author's Note: **So sorry there's been so much time between updates lately. I've been really busy, but promise to try and go back to my once a week updating schedule.

I've written several one-shots for a couple of contests and am working on another story that popped into my head and wouldn't leave. I'm also going to be writing a one-shot of Emmett and Rosalie from, 'My Everything'. It'll have to do with their break-up and what happens to them afterward. It will be featured in the compilation for the _**Fandom Fights Tsunami Relief Fund**_.

Their web site can be found here: http: / fandom fights tsunami .blogspot. Com /_ (remove the spaces)_ Please make a donation to purchase your copy of all of the wonderful stories that will be featured. Over 300 authors are donating their time and creativity to this effort.

Thank you so much for your support! ~ Charli ox


	74. Conspiracy Theories

74.

Conspiracy Theories

Alice sighed as she watched Emmett's face. She could see his jaw clench and the hardness around his eyes. His knuckles gripped the steering wheel as he drove them home and Alice wondered for the hundredth time if she was doing the right thing by staying apart from Jasper.

As they pulled into the driveway, Alice's breath came out in a whoosh. There, in the Hale's driveway, Rosalie sat in a car with Dylan Shane. She could see that they were laughing and her eyes darted to Emmett. The scowl on his face told her that he had seen them, as well, and Alice's heart ached for him. Rosalie had been trying her best to get under Emmett's skin and, so far, he'd held up really well, but she was going too far this time, and Alice knew it wouldn't turn out well.

"Fuck!" Emmett gritted out, hitting his hand on the steering wheel. He turned off the Jeep and got out, striding around the front of the vehicle and toward the walk to the house. His face was fierce in his anger and Alice hugged her knees to her chest and chewed on her lip in anxiety. She felt so guilty and, as he stormed away from the car, she knew that Emmett's anger was a direct result of her decision to break up with Jasper.

He didn't look at her as her eyes followed him across the driveway, but he glanced at her in irritation as he reached the walk, and Alice felt the tears beginning.

"You coming, Alice, or what?" Emmett spat out as he started up the walk to the front door.

She didn't think she could bear Emmett being mad at her, he never called her, 'Alice'. It was either, 'Ali', or one of his little cutesy names for her. She put her forehead down on her knees and let the tears overtake her. She sobbed for several minutes before she became aware of the soft voice beside her ear. With a gentle hand stroking soothingly up and down on her back, Emmett tried to make it up to the girl that meant more to him than even Rose.

"It's not your fault, Teensy. I'm so sorry. I'm not mad at you." Emmett crooned to her as he gathered her against his brawny chest. "Forgive me, please?" She looked up at him to see his eyes full of sorrow and, with a soft hiccup, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her into the house.

"I'm so sorry, Em." Alice whispered into his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt. "I didn't mean for all of this to happen."

"Shhhhhhh... Ali Cat, it's not your fault." He tried to assure her again. "Rose is just being stubborn and unfair. She knows that letting Dylan drive her home will piss me off, and she's hoping that I'll come storming over there so she can lay into me again, but I won't give her the satisfaction. I'm not playing games with her on this. You have the right to do whatever you think is best, and I'm not going to let her pressure either one of us into going against what we believe."

He made her look into his eyes. "I'm here for you, Short Stuff, just like always." He told her, conviction shining from his deep blue-green eyes. He set her down on the kitchen counter, and set his forehead against hers, his eyes staring into hers. "This is between me and Rose, you have nothing to do with our problems. You got that?" At her slight nod, he grinned. "Rose is just spoiled and used to me following her around like a puppy. This is good for us, it shows her that I do have a mind of my own, huh?"

Alice smiled and nodded her head again, her eyes twinkling. "Em, I don't think Rose likes you having a mind of your own." She joked with a sniffle.

Emmett laughed. "I'm thinking you're right, Ali, but she'll learn soon enough that I do, cuz I'm not backing down when it's something important."

Rosalie watched Dylan's face as he talked to her, but she wasn't really listening to a word he said. "Damn! I can't believe that Emmett didn't come over here when he saw me with Dylan." She thought, her smile falling slightly. Her eyes focused on Dylan again when she heard her name.

"Well, Rosalie. Thanks for letting me give you a lift." He told her, grinning. "I really enjoyed talking with you."

Rose smiled. "Thank you, Dyl. I really appreciate the ride. I just wasn't up to driving today." Her mind went blank as she noticed Dylan sway toward her slightly. "Geeze! Did he expect a kiss just for driving her home? It's not like they went on a date, or anything." She broke the mood quickly.

"I guess I'll see you at school on Monday, then. Have a good weekend!" Rose opened the door and swung her legs out.

"Uh... Rose?" Dylan cleared his throat. "Uh oh..." Rose thought. "Here we go..." She turned back toward Dylan, a friendly smile on her face.

"Yes, Dyl?"

His face had turned a little red, and the color deepened as he cleared his throat again. "I was wondering if you'd like to... um... maybe go out... with me... this weekend. Maybe tomorrow night?" His face looked so hopeful that Rose felt a twist in her chest for using him. "We could go to... a movie... or for a burger. Whatcha' think?"

"Well, that would be really nice, Dylan, but I... " Rose searched her mind for an excuse. She was usually really good at handling boys that hit on her or asked her out. Coming up empty, Rose decided with a sigh to just go with the truth. "I still love Emmett, Dylan. I'm just... mad at him right now." She explained with a cringe.

"Oh, I know, Rose... I just thought, you know, maybe we could spend some time together until you guys work it out." Dylan offered with an encouraging smile.

Rose watched his hopeful expression start to fade and her guilt rose up to choke her. "I guess a movie... wouldn't hurt..." She said, vaguely, and she saw his whole face brighten. God! What was she doing?

"Okay! I'll pick you up tomorrow at 5:00 and we'll grab a burger before the movie. Think about what you want to see." Dylan's voice belayed his happiness and Rose groaned inwardly. If nothing else, she supposed, maybe Emmett would get jealous enough to quit acting like a martyr and make up with her.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then, Dyl." Rosalie told him as she got out of the car. "Thanks, again." She waved, ran up the walk and into the house. She knew this was a mistake, but she didn't know how to get out of it without making it worse. She groaned as she set her things on the table. Now she had to turn around and hurry back to get Jasper and Edward from football practice. Talk about a plan backfiring.

~xo-0-ox~

Jasper couldn't believe that Rosalie was actually going out with Dylan Shane. He didn't know what the hell she was thinking, but Emmett was gonna' have a cow when he found out. He'd tried to convince her to make up with Emmett and let him worry about his relationship with Ali, but she wouldn't budge. She was so used to Emmett giving her her way all the time, that she was sure he'd give in once he realized that he could lose her to someone else.

Jasper shook his head in disappointment as she came down the stairs a few minutes before Dylan was due to arrive. "Don't you think you should at least take Emmett's ring off before you go out with another guy, Rose?" He asked her snidely, a scowl on his face.

"Oh, yeah." She said as she pulled it off and put it in her wallet. "Thanks, Jas." She fluffed her hair in the hallway mirror and went into the living room.

Jasper decided to try once more. "Rose, isn't this a little drastic? You know Em is gonna' be really upset when he finds out that you went out with Dylan. Why don't you cancel with him and go talk to Em? Please?"

Rosalie whirled on him, her hands on her hips. "I told you, Jas. I'm not going to have Emmett run my life. I'm entitled to my opinion just as much as he is."

"I know, Rose, but didn't this whole thing start because _he_ didn't agree with _you_?" Jasper tried to make her see reason. "Isn't he entitled to his opinion, too?"

"Jasper Logan, I was sticking up for you!" Rose scolded him. "Now you're sticking up for him? I see where I stand." Rose turned on her heel and began to stalk away.

"Rose! I appreciate you sticking up for me, I do, but I don't want you and Em to be mad at each other because of me." Jasper cried, grabbing her by the arm before she could leave the room. "I just want you to be happy. Please, go talk to him. Please?"

Rosalie searched his pleading face and her angry expression softened. She opened her mouth to say something when the doorbell rang. Their eyes locked and Jasper whispered one last plea.

"Tell him you changed your mind, Rose. Go talk to Em."

Her face showing her indecision, she stood poised to move when they heard a knock on the door. Her face fell and she looked apologetically at her brother. "I can't, Jas. I'll talk to Em when I get home." She saw his disappointment and ruffled his golden hair. "It's just a movie, Jas. I'm not gonna' marry the guy. Geeze." She grinned at him as she opened the door and met Dylan's hopeful face. He broke out into a huge grin when he saw her smiling face and she groaned inwardly.

"Hi, Dylan." She greeted him, trying to be polite.

"Hi, Rose, ready to go?" He asked her. She nodded and grabbed her purse as Dylan spotted Jasper. "Hey, Jas. How's it going?"

"Not too bad, Dylan. How're you?" Jasper said, his manners forcing him to be polite when he really wanted to ask Dylan how he could betray Emmett by going out with his girl. He sighed as he waved them out the door and went back into the living room to throw himself onto the couch.

"How the hell had he screwed everything up so bad?" He wondered, staring at the ceiling. All he'd wanted was to enjoy his life, was that so awful? He knew he really didn't have any right to be mad at Ali, but, damn it, didn't she realize that he was just trying to sort out his feelings and figure out what he wanted out of life? Then, he had a realization and a guilty expression colored his features.

Maybe that's all Alice was doing, too, trying to figure out her feelings and what she wanted out of life. He tucked his hands behind his head and stared, unseeing, upward for a long time, his mind finally making some sense out of the last few weeks.

Alice walked carefully down the stairs, pausing when she spotted Emmett looking out the window of the front door. Continuing down, she watched as his shoulders stiffened and he turned to look up at her. Giving her a slight smile, he walked away with a sigh and Alice's head dropped, the now familiar ache in her chest intensifying. A car drove by and Alice glanced up to see Dylan's car, obviously coming from next door. She couldn't understand why Rosalie would want to antagonize someone she loved so much, by flaunting Dylan in Em's face. Her mind pictured Jasper's unhappy face and she quickly reminded herself that she wasn't trying to make Jasper unhappy on purpose. She was just trying to make herself, happy.

A new understanding fresh in his mind, Jasper loped across the back yard to the Cullen's back door. He stopped, feeling unsure if he should knock, or just walk in like he'd done all his life, and decided to rap lightly on the wood, hoping that someone would hear him. A few seconds later, Jas saw Emmett's face appear and the door slowly opened.

"Uh... hey, Em..." Jasper greeted him tentatively, a half smile on his face. "Can I... talk to you?"

He saw the indecision on Emmett's face and he felt a pain in his chest. He and Em had always been close as brothers, and it hurt him deeply to be the cause of the look on his face.

"Please, Em? Just for a minute?" Jasper pleaded, watching Emmett closely. Emmett's face relaxed some and he nodded his head.

"Alright, Jas, come on in." He stepped back to let Jasper in and closed the door behind him. "What do you want?"

Jasper looked uncomfortable and reached up to rub the back of his neck. "I figured out some stuff... just now... and I wanted to... you know, talk to you about it."

Emmett sighed half-heartedly and gestured for Jasper to have a seat at the table. Taking a seat across from him, Emmett propped his head on his hands.

"Okay, Jas, spill. What's goin' on?" Emmett muttered, looking at him with dull eyes.

"Em, I think I figured out what's going on with Ali." Jasper gushed, a big smile on his face. Emmett lifted his head off his hands and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Jas! Not this shit again." Emmett exclaimed, glaring at Jasper for wasting his time. "I can't deal with this right now." He started to get up from the table and Jasper held out his hand, his words desperate.

"No, Em! This is different. I swear." His face relaxed as Emmett sat back down, a look of expectation on his face. "I was talking to Rose... uh... before... and I was feeling sorry for myself... you know, about Ali... and I thought that maybe, she's just feeling, you know... confused, like me. I mean... we're both pretty young, right? And I'm constantly questioning myself... my feelings and what I want to do with my life... and Ali is... well, pretty sheltered. I was thinking... maybe she doesn't really know what she's feeling, either. Maybe she thinks that she should stay away from me because she feels hurt, but doesn't realize that it's not me that hurt her. I mean, I know I hurt her, but not on purpose."

Emmett watched the emotions roll over Jasper's face and then the hopeful expression that now shown on it. He shook his head slightly and cleared his throat.

"I understand what you're saying, Jas, but I don't think that Ali thinks that you tried to hurt her on purpose. She understands that you didn't initiate the thing with Mara. She even understands about Savannah." Emmett paused as he searched for a way to break it gently to his dearest friend. "She just doesn't want to... feel that way again... you know? She's... trying to protect herself, Jas."

Jasper still looked hopeful and Emmett let out a sigh. "I know that, Em, but she has to understand that I don't try to hurt her. I even had a talk with Mara and she knows I love Ali and promised that she won't do anything like that again. In fact, she asked me to introduce her to Nick." Jasper chuckled. "I actually think that her and Nick will get along great. Don't you?"

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, he's really easy-going and she seems... well... intense, so they should bounce off each other pretty well."

"I think so, too!" Jasper said happily. "Just like you and Rose!" At Emmett's look, Jasper reddened. "Oh... sorry, Em." He looked ashamed and the silence was thick between them. Finally, Jasper tried to made amends. "Em... you know she's just... messing with you, right? With the whole... Dylan thing?"

Emmett sighed and met his eyes. "Yeah, Jas, I know. She's being really unfair to both of us, though, and I can't believe she'd go that far over this."

Both guys sat in thought when they heard a small gasp from the direction of the doorway. Before Alice could escape, though, Jasper jumped up.

"Hi, Ali." He said softly. "How... are you?" He watched her with eager eyes, his mouth in a small smile, but sadness evident, too.

"Um... I'm... okay... and you?" She managed, her eyes not quite meeting his.

"I'm good." He told her, his eyes drinking her in. "I wondered if... we could... talk for a minute?" He asked her tentatively. When she looked uncertain, he rushed on. "Just for a minute."

Alice looked over at Emmett for reassurance and he nodded slightly. Her eyes swung back to Jasper and she was a little shocked to notice how tired he looked. "Okay... Jas... just for a minute."

His smile lit up the room and Alice felt the jolt all the way to her toes. She had to steel herself against his charm or she'd be right back where she started.

Emmett left the room and Alice moved to take his seat. "I'll be right in the living room, munchkin." He told her before leaving the room. "See ya' later, Jas."

"See ya'. Oh, and Em?" Jasper said, watching Emmett pause and turn to look at him. "Thanks."

Emmett smiled and nodded. "No problem, Jas. We're good, huh?"

Jasper nodded, his eyes gleaming, a silly smile on his face. "We're good."

Emmett nodded once more and went into the other room. Jasper tuned back to Alice, who was looking down at her hands on the table in front of her. She was picking at her nails, her lip between her teeth, and Jasper smiled adoringly at her before clearing his throat. Her head came up at that, and she gave him a small smile.

"What did you want to... talk about?" She asked, wanting to kick herself as she said it, knowing full well what he wanted to talk about.

"I just wanted to tell you that I... understand... kinda'... how you feel, Ali." He looked ashamed and glanced down at the table. "I was so... upset for myself that, I never really stopped to think about how you felt." He looked up again, regret in his eyes. "I do that a lot, I know. I'm... sorry... I'm so... self-centered. I don't mean to be... it just... comes... naturally, I guess."

Alice smiled softly at his comment and Jasper grinned, then turned sober once more. "I know how it looked... in the garage with... h-her. I can imagine how you felt, and I just wanted you to know that I... understand, and I'm prepared to... w-wait... or do... whatever you want... " He looked sincere as he stared into her eyes. "Ali, I love you... I always have. I'm so sorry I hurt you and... I don't ever want to do it again. Can we at least... talk and... see each other... some?" He watched as her face scrunched up and he rushed on. "I don't mean as... you know, my girlfriend... just as... friends? Like we used to be."

Alice's mind whirled as she thought of what to say. She continued to chew on her lip and she noticed Jasper watching her mouth. His eyes met hers and she saw the worry in them. She did feel bad for him, and she missed him, but she didn't know if she could be around him, especially if he was going to be with Mara.

"I don't... think so, Jas... I... " She looked at him helplessly and he lowered his head.

"I understand." He whispered and Alice felt her heart break all over again.

"It's just... I... care about you, Jas, and... it... hurts me to see you... with her." Alice managed to say, her throat tight.

Jasper's head came up and he looked intently at her. "With her?" He asked, his face perplexed. "I'm not with her, Ali. You mean, Mara, right?" Alice nodded, wincing when he said her name. "I'm not going out with her, darlin'. I'm not planning on going out with anyone."

"I saw you, Jas... at school... with her." Alice said so softly that Jasper wasn't sure he heard her right.

"You saw me... you saw me do what, Ali?" He still didn't know what she meant.

Alice looked straight into Jasper's eyes, daring him to try and lie to her. "I saw you with... M-Mara... in the hallway at school, Jas. She had her hand on your... chest... and you were... smiling at her." Alice shook her head and looked down again. "I can't pretend it doesn't bother me."

Jasper chuckled and Alice's head shot up, an incredulous look on her face. "Ali, I was telling her that I'd introduce her to Nick Compton. I felt bad that I somehow led her on and figured that her and Nick would hit it off. He's not been seeing anyone for a while and they'd probably be good together. That's all." Jasper frowned and he shook his head. "I don't know how many times I have to say it. I'm not attracted to her. Not at all."

Alice's shoulders drooped and, with an apologetic smile, she titled her head. "Sorry, Jas." She said quietly. "I shouldn't jump to conclusions."

Jasper smiled gently, his eyes adoring her. "It's okay, angel. I know your emotions are kinda'... raw right now." He straightened up and sighed. "Well, I'm gonna' let you get back to your day." He said as he stood up. He looked sad again as he added, "Could you try and cheer Em up a little? Rose is really giving him a hard time and I feel really bad."

Alice nodded as she stood up and Jasper walked to the door. "Thanks, love, for listening, and for being there for Em."

"It's okay. I want Em to be happy again, too." Alice said. "I wish Rose wouldn't taunt him."

Jasper nodded sadly. "I know. I tried to talk to her, but she won't listen, as usual. She thinks that Em will give in if she goes out with Dyl. I can't believe he would do that to Em, either." Jasper smiled half-heartedly. "Well, talk to you later..." He murmured as he went out the door.

Alice stood lost in thought for a minute as her heart continued to ache in her chest. She wanted to run after him so bad, just so he could hold her for a minute, but she knew she couldn't. He would never understand and would think things were back the way they were before. With a defeated sigh, she went into the living room, hoping to be able to cheer Emmett up, at least.

~xo-0-ox~

The days flew by and the Cullen kids and Jasper enjoyed a friendly truce. Rosalie still avoided them as much as possible, but would smile at Alice and Edward whenever she did see them. She pointedly ignored Emmett, however, and even tried to make sure to be talking to other guys when he was around. Emmett's blood boiled when she did this, not only because he knew she was doing it on purpose, but also because she was using their friends to try and make him jealous. He knew she loved him, just as he loved her, but her childish antics were making him think twice about their future together. How could he concentrate on school and baseball if he was always worrying about her pulling some kind of power play?

He wandered toward the locker room to change for football practice, his spirits low, when he felt a touch on his arm.

"Em? You hear me, bro?" Emmett focused on his friend, Nick's, face. "Oh! Hey, Nick."

"Hey. How's it going. Em?" Nick asked, falling into step next to his long-time friend. "Sorry about you and Rose."

"Thanks, man." Emmett said with a nod. "It's cool, though. She's just pulling a power struggle. We'll be fine."

Relief washed over Nick's face. "I'm glad, man. I heard she was going with Dylan. I was hoping that rumor was wrong. You and Rosie've been together forever."

Emmett scowled. "Yeah... forever, but that's part of her plan. She wants me to be jealous and confront her. It pisses me off that she's using him, though. We've been friends a long time and it ain't fair to him, ya' know?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah... but he knows the score. Dicks before chicks, right? You don't move in on your bro's girl. It ain't right."

"No, it ain't, but Rose can be pretty... persuasive..." Emmett offered and both guys chuckled. "I suppose we can't totally blame Dyl."

"I suppose." Nick agreed, holding open the locker room door for Emmett and then following him inside. "Speaking of girls, you know anything about this Mara chick? Jas wants to introduce me and I hear she's pretty hot."

"Well... she's..." Emmett started, then looked searchingly at Nick. "You sure Jas ain't trying to get even with you for helping Matt Davidson dance with Ali at our Fourth of July party?"

"Wow. She that bad?" Nick asked, his face showing his concern. "I thought me and Jas were cool. You think he's still pissed about that?"

"I don't know. What did he say?" Emmett asked.

"He just asked me if I'd be interested in meeting her and that he thought we'd like each other." Nick said, a baffled look on his face.

"Well, Jas is too nice for his own good, especially when it comes to girls. I personally think the girl is a bitch but, if you wanna' go ahead and meet her, maybe you will hit it off, who knows?" Emmett told him truthfully. "It would be great if you did, maybe she wouldn't be so vile."

The two boys laughed together and Nick slapped Emmett on the back. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Em."

"Any time." Emmett chuckled and they made their way to their lockers. Leave it to Jasper to want to help the girl who totally screwed up his life. Emmett shook his head, too bad Jasper wasn't that patient with Ali. His possessiveness toward her was baffling to him. He'd never felt that was towards Rosalie, not even when he saw her sitting in Dylan's car. He pulled on his practice gear and gave a silent 'thank you' that football would be over soon. He didn't play a winter sport, so he spent the cold months conditioning for baseball, and he looked forward to the extra time to just get things straightened out, especially in his own head.

"Hey, Em!" Emmett looked up to see his coach gesturing to him. "You ready, buddy?"

Emmett nodded. "Yeah! Be right there."

"Okay, see you outside." The coach went out the door and Emmett stuffed his feet into his cleats and ran out behind him, his helmet in his hand.

"Ali! There you are.' Seth called as he ran up to Alice in the hallway. Alice looked at him questioningly as she closed her locker,

"You okay, Seth?" She asked while he tried to catch his breath.

"Yeah... I just wondered... if you'd wanna'... hang out... until the guys are done with... football practice?" Seth panted, telling Alice that he'd run all the way.

"Ummmmm... sure. Whatcha' wanna' do?" She asked him, then something dawned on her. "Hey, are you guys going to practice today?"

Seth nodded, a happy smile lighting up his face. "Jas gave the go-ahead. No one asked him, either, he just brought it up."

Alice grinned. "Wow, that's... really great! I hope that means he's finally getting back to normal."

"Me, too." Seth's face sobered. "Ali, you've really messed him up." He reached up and scratched his head, scrunching up his face. "I know it's not my place but, can't you... you know... give him a break?"

Alice frowned and opened her mouth to answer, but Seth broke in.

"I mean... just a little one. You don't have to... you know... go back out with him, or anything, just... I don't know... hang with the group some and... maybe talk to him... just a little?" His face was hopeful and Alice sighed.

"Seth... I'm trying... I am... it's just so hard. He uses that... charm on me, and I just want to... hug him." Alice's eyes got wide . "Don't tell him that!" She pleaded with him. "Please, Seth! It'll just make it harder on both of us."

Seth put his hand on Alice's shoulder. "Don't worry, Ali. I won't tell anyone what we talk about. I promise."

Alice let out a breath and her shoulders dropped in relief. "Thanks, Seth. I appreciate it. This is really hard for me, too, you know."

"I know." Seth agreed, then he grinned. "Come on, let's go hang and relax."

Alice skipped along next to his long strides. "Where should we go?"

Seth put his arm around her shoulders and twisted his face in thought. "Hmmmmm... I don't know. Wanna' go over to the gas station and get a soda, or something, and just lay in the sun?"

Alice nodded her head happily. "Yes! Its really nice out."

"Yeah, it is, and we better enjoy it. I hear I'm gonna' freeze to death here pretty soon." Seth chuckled.

Alice laughed and patted his hand. "You better find someone to keep you warm then."

Seth looked at her incredulously and grinned. "I never thought of that. Good idea!" They both laughed as they walked toward the sunshine and fresh autumn air.

In the shadow of a doorway, Lauren Stanley watched them with glee. Mara Lambert had done what Lauren, herself, had been trying for years to do, keep Alice and Jasper apart, in fact, she'd always hated Alice for being the apple of Jasper's eye. He'd rebuffed her advances up 'til now, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to keep trying. Now that the little chick was out of the picture, all she had to deal with was Mara, and that bitch was going down.

Jasper watched Alice and Seth from the corner of his eye as he tried to pay attention to what his coach was telling the team. He could see them drinking something and laughing while they sat on the grass and watched the team practice. Not for the first time, he wondered if Seth had an ulterior motive for his close 'friendship' with Alice. After all, it was Seth's sister that had caused all of the current problems in his life. He touched momentarily on his part in his unhappiness, but shied away from the thoughts as he went back to his theory. He hoped that he was wrong, but it seemed too coincidental that Mara had broken him and Ali up, and now Seth had moved in to 'comfort' her. His brother, Zac, seemed to always be 'comforting' Ali, too, and his head began to ache with the possibilities.

"Jas!" His head came up as he heard his name being called. Edward was watching him, a question on his face. "You here, man? We're gonna' run a play."

"Uh... yeah, I'm good." He put his helmet on and ran into position.

Later that afternoon, Edward and Jasper came out of the locker room to see Seth waiting for them.

"Hey guys! How was practice?" He hollered, his face happy and carefree.

"It was good, Seth." Edward answered as they reached him and the three of them turned to walk out to the parking lot.

"Emmett still picking us up?" Seth asked, looking from Edward to Jasper, and back again.

Jasper nodded. "As far as we know." He told him, trying not to act any differently toward him.

"Cool!" Seth enthused. "I can't wait to practice! I've really missed it, ya' know?"

"Me, too." Edward agreed, slapping Seth on the back.

Jasper faltered as they approached Emmett's Jeep. He and Ali were waiting alongside it, him with a big grin on his face, and Ali looking at her foot as she kicked at a rock.

"Hey dudes! It took you long enough!" Emmett teased them once they were within shouting distance. "What'd, you have to fix your hair, or something? Put on your make-up?"

"Very funny, Em." Edward chuckled as he reached Emmett and smacked him on the arm.

"Yeah, Em." Jasper agreed, trying to play along. "I couldn't put on my make-up cuz you stole it all for your ugly mug."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, J-Man." Emmett jested in a sober voice. "I think your mascara may be running." He flipped Jasper on the nose and they began to wrestle.

Alice rolled her eyes and got into the Jeep, Seth right behind her. They looked at each other once they were seated and chuckled at the other boys' antics. Edward hopped in, as well, and laughed out loud.

"What a couple of idiots, but I'm glad things are getting back to normal, huh?" He commented, looking at Alice. Alice nodded and became concerned as a thought occurred to her.

"Um... Edward? Can I sit with you? There's not room for all of us and... I just won't be... comfortable sitting with Jas."

"Ali, that means I'd have to get in the back." Edward said and he looked over at Seth. "Seth, can she sit with you?"

Seth smiled. "Sure." He patted the seat next to him as he scooted over. "Come on, Ali."

Alice sat on the seat with him and he put the seatbelt around them both. Alice looked up when Emmett and Jasper got into the vehicle and noticed that Jasper was scowling. She hadn't seen the end of their play fight, but she wondered if Emmett had hurt Jasper. She looked up at him as he took the open seat and fastened his seatbelt.

"You okay, Jas? Em didn't hurt you, did he?" Alice looked him over, but couldn't see any damage.

"No, Ali." Jasper gritted out, trying to keep his face blank. "_Emmett_ didn't hurt me." He turned to face the front and Alice looked down at her hands. She got Jasper's message loud and clear, but she'd thought that they were on good terms after their talk in her kitchen. She just couldn't stand the emotional roller coaster and was so glad that she'd stuck to her plan to stay apart from Jasper. His mood swings were killer.

~xo-0-ox~

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	75. Chapter 75  Turbulence and Turmoil

To all the loyal readers of 'My Everything',

My sincerest apologies for the extremely long delay in updating this story. Real life has kept me quite busy, in addition to the bad weather we've been experiencing recently. Two incidents were exceptionally extreme, one resulting in downed trees, a brief loss of power and a three day loss of Internet, the other, not even a week later, on July 11, resulted in downed electrical poles and trees, damaged roofs, a 7 day loss of power and 11 days, and counting, without Internet – Comcast says another week. Ugh! As you can imagine, though we were incredibly lucky, it's still been an extremely long couple of weeks... and our whole county still looks like a war zone.

Besides the above, I have also spent quite a bit of time writing for several fundraising events within the fandom. I felt helpless with all of the terrible weather affecting so many people and decided to help in any way I could. I will be posting these stories on my Fanfiction page as soon as I'm able.

Now comes my lamest excuse, but quite possibly my best. I admit that I lost some of my writing mojo due to self-confidence issues over this story. I realize that not all stories appeal to every reader, and they shouldn't, as we all have different tastes, but a reader must realize that an author writes the story that is in their head and, though the reader may not like it, that doesn't mean that it's a bad story. I really appreciate your reviews, in fact, I love them, but not liking the plot of a story is usually personal preference, not the sign of a bad writer.

Please understand, in, 'My Everything', Jasper is behaving like an ass for a reason. There is a lesson to be learned for both him, and for Alice. I can assure you, I definitely believe in happy endings, and Jas and Ali will eventually get theirs, but it's the journey that strengthens bonds and forms character.

I really appreciate any suggestions you may have or honest criticism. If something seems totally unrealistic or there are mistakes or inconsistencies, please, by all means, let me know. If you have an idea that you think would make this story better, again, I'd love to hear it. Changing the entire plot of the story, on the other hand, just won't work. That would only make it a different story.

With that said, I'm continuing on my original path with the Cullens and Hales. I thank you so much for sticking with me and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. I'm planning to resume my weekly (or sooner) updating schedule and will be devoting myself entirely to this story from now until its end.

Many blessings and much love,

Charli

P.S. This chapter continues directly from chapter 74.

75.

Turbulence and Turmoil

Alice brooded the whole way home. She knew that Jasper was angry that she was sitting with Seth, but what did he expect her to do? She didn't feel comfortable sitting with him and they couldn't double up in the front seat. She chanced a glance at him to see him still scowling and staring out the window.

They talked about girls having wild mood swings? Ha! Jasper Logan Hale was the king of mood swings, if Alice let her opinion be known. One minute he's laughing and wrestling with Emmett, the next he's frowning and glaring at her. Well, as far as she was concerned, good riddance!

By the time they pulled into the driveway, Alice had worked herself into a temper. She wanted to smack something, and she was thinking that Jasper's face would make an excellent target. As soon as Emmett stopped the Jeep, Jasper was out of his seatbelt and had the door open. Hopping out, he called to Seth and Emmett over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the ride, Em! Seth, I'll meet you at my house." And he stalked across the grass toward his house.

Alice was fuming and decided that enough was enough. She undid the seatbelt and jumped out after him.

"Jasper!" She called as she hastened after him. When he didn't slow or acknowledge her, her temper really flared. "Jasper Hale! I'm talking to you!"

She watched in satisfaction as his steps faltered and he finally turned to look at her, his eyes glittering. She caught up to him and they glowered at each other. Finally, Jasper let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair.

"What do you want, Ali?" He asked, impatience in his voice. By this time, she was so angry, she could've happily beaten him.

She pointed her finger at him and let him have it. "Damn it, Jasper, who do you think you are, being mad just because I'm sitting with Seth, instead of you? You have no right to act that way! No one did anything to you!"

She stood on her tiptoes, her face tilted up so she could look him in the eyes.

"I'm not mad, Ali." Jasper insisted through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing directly into hers. "I have no right to be mad where you're concerned. We're not going out any more, are we?"

"You're right, we're not! _And_… I can sit with whomever I please!" She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Biting her lip, she continued in a softer voice, beseeching him to understand.

"I just don't feel comfortable sitting with you right now, Jas, and Edward wouldn't sit in the back."

Jasper shrugged as though it was no concern of his, but his eyes bore into hers. "I don't care who you sit with, Ali. You can sit Seth _and_ Zac, for all I care!"

She gritted her teeth and her eyes started shooting fire as she stepped closer to him. "Fine! Maybe I will! In fact, I don't even owe you an explanation! You're the one who's treating me like crap! Seth is our friend and he doesn't deserve your crappy treatment, either. He's never done anything to justify you treating him that way and... " She poked him in the chest for emphasis. "Neither! Have! I!"

She put her hands on her hips and watched him. His eyes had lightened up and were now sparkling and she could tell he was trying not to grin. She stomped her foot and yelled as loud as she could.

"And don't you laugh at me, either, damn you! I'm serious!"

Jasper tried desperately to stop the grin that threatened, but the corners of his mouth quirked up and his dimples peaked slightly as he clamped his lips together. Alice flinched when she heard Emmett let out a loud obnoxious laugh, and Jasper's face crumbled. He grinned at her and she kicked him in the shin, which just made Emmett laugh harder.

"Aaarrrrr! This is not funny, damn you!" Alice stomped her foot again. She was so angry that she just wanted to hit him and keep hitting him until, either he fell over, or she did.

She spun around and headed back toward her house with a march in her step. She felt his hand on her arm, but she shook it off and kept going.

"Ali! I'm sorry! Please, stop for a second. Please!" Jasper hollered as he caught her arm again. She slowed and let him get in front of her, but she wasn't going to give in to him, adorable grin, or no. "I'm sorry, Ali. You just looked so... "

"Don't you dare say it, Jasper Hale." Alice demanded before he could finish. "If you say I looked cute, I swear I'll kill you where you stand."

She watched Jasper continue to fight a grin and his eyes were twinkling like mad. She could still hear Emmett, and now Seth, laughing, too, but she dared Jasper with her eyes to start up again.

"I can't help it, Ali, everything you do... fascinates me." Jasper told her softly, still trying to keep a straight face. "I was just remembering when you were little. You'd get so mad when Edward and Emmett would tease you and you'd stomp your foot and put your hands on your hips. I'd be mad at them for teasing you, but you looked so... adorable... that I couldn't help but smile."

Alice felt herself relaxing and wanted to scream. She couldn't let his charm get to her. She knew how he worked, and she would resist him no matter what.

"That's no excuse, Jasper, and you have no excuse for treating me and Seth that way, either. Your mom and dad would be very disappointed if they could see how you just acted in the car. At least you thanked Em for the ride and told Seth you'd meet him. You acted like I wasn't even there and you were all... pissy."

Jasper couldn't help it, he cracked up. She was so cute when she was mad and the words she used were hilarious. He watched as her eyes continued to burn into his, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... don't be mad." He gasped, trying to catch his breath as she started to walk around him. "Ali, please... can we talk... just for a few minutes?"

Alice glared at his laughing eyes, but decided to see what he wanted.

"Sure. Talk." She crossed her arms over her chest again and continued to glare at him.

"Let's go sit on the patio. Please?" He suggested, gesturing toward the back yard. At Alice's nod, they began to walk that way. Jasper looked over at the boys still laughing by the Jeep.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, Seth. Go on over to my house, if you want."

He chuckled when Emmett wiggled his fingers at him, a big grin still on his face.

"See ya', Em!"

"See ya', Jas!" Emmett called out in a sing-song voice.

Alice glared back at them, but continued to head for the Hale's back yard. She sat on the patio chair with a plop, and looked up at Jasper expectantly.

"Okay, we're here." She snapped. "Talk."

He pulled his chair close to hers and put his hand on her knee. "I'm sorry I laughed, Ali. You know I didn't do it to make you mad."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, trying to resist his charm. "I know."

He grinned at her and she glared. With a chuckle, he leaned closer to her and then bit his lip, his face suddenly serious.

"I have to ask you this, but I don't want you to be mad... please?"

Alice searched his face for a clue as to what he wanted to know. Not any closer to an answer, she gave in.

"I'll try. What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering... well... uh... I was... wondering... uh... I don't know... how to ask this..." He looked nervous as he ran his hand through his hair and Alice couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. His eyes flew to her face, his brow cocked in question.

"What's so funny?"

"You!" She giggled again. "I've never seen you look so unsure of yourself, especially with me."

He gave her a lop-sided grin. "Well, your temper has definitely gotten a little scary lately, and I don't want to make you mad at me again." His face became sad and he took her hand.

"I hate when you're mad at me, Ali, but this is driving me crazy."

"Jas, just ask, okay?" Alice told him, her eyes starting to soften. "I'll try not to get mad."

"Okay." He said and took a deep breath. "Are you and... Seth... more than friends?"

Alice looked shocked before she burst out laughing. Jasper didn't look happy, but he hoped that her laughing meant that he had nothing to worry about.

"You know, if all the guys that you think like me, actually liked me, I'd have my own man harem." Alice laughed, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Where do you get that Seth and I are more than friends?"

Jasper looked sheepish as he played with her fingers. "Well, I saw you... with him... in the field after school... during football practice"

"Jasper, we were drinking pop and talking about you." Alice told him, her voice still alight with laughter. "In fact, he was pleading your case."

Jasper's face lit up with hope. "Really?" When Alice nodded, he chewed his lip before continuing. "Did he help? My case, that is?"

Alice's face sobered and she looked away. She shook her head and whispered. "No, Jas, I'm sorry."

Jasper gave her a sad smile and squeezed her hand before letting it go. "Well, you can't blame me for hoping."

He looked down at his hands as if studying their very shape, before finally looking Alice in the eyes again.

"I'm not trying to talk you into anything or make you change your mind, so please don't think that, okay?" As she nodded her head and waited, he went on.

"It's just that I... miss you. It's almost like you... died, or something. We've always spent so much time together and, well, I really miss seeing you and talking to you." He reached up to stroke his fingertips down her cheek.

"Do you think... do you think we could, you know... spend some time together this weekend?"

Alice looked uncertain and pulled her lip between her teeth. "I don't... think... "

He hurried on before she could finish what she was saying.

"Just like before... no kissing or anything... just like when we were younger." Jasper pleaded. "I promise, I won't press for more, and we can see if Ed and Bella want to hang out, too, if you want."

He looked so hopeful that Alice's determination melted away. He always had that affect on her and she kicked herself for letting him do that to her again. Straightening her shoulders, she steeled herself for his disappointment.

"No, Jas. I'm sorry, but I don't want to spend any time with you... not right now."

She took in his crestfallen face and her heart ached, but she had to be firm or, the next thing she knew, he'd be bossing her around and treating her like crap again.

"I'm sorry, Jas." She whispered, watching him try to regain face. "I really am. I just don't feel... comfortable with that right now. I hope you understand."

Jasper nodded, looking down at the ground. "I do. I just don't... like it." He looked up at her, and tried to smile. "Thanks for listening, anyway."

Alice nodded as Jasper stood up and extended his hand to her. He helped her up and they walked in silence, back around to the front of the house.

"Well, I'll talk to you later, Ali." Jasper told her softly, letting go of her hand. He gave her another sad smile and walked toward his house.

"Bye, Jas." She whispered, watching him walk away.

As she got her bag out of the Jeep and went into the house, Alice wondered what things would be like if Jasper's feelings for her hadn't changed last year. She missed the way it used to be and would give just about anything to get it back.

~xo-0-ox~

Alice put her textbook aside and closed her notebook. Thank God that was over. She'd gotten so that she just hated doing her homework any more. It seemed to take forever with so much on her mind. She put her books in her bag and reached to turn off her laptop, when she heard an email alert. Setting it on her knees, Alice clicked on the email link to see that she had an email from her biological mom. She hadn't heard from her in almost a month and hoped that she was okay.

_Hi Alice._

_Sorry I didn't answer your emails sooner. Damn cable company turned off my Internet again. I couldn't pay the bill. I'm still working, but they didn't put me back on normal hours yet. Hopefully, they'll put me back soon. I can't find another job and I'm behind on my bills. Anyway, I hope you're OK. I'd like to see you, if you could ever get away from that family of yours. _

_I'm at the coffee shop using their free Internet, so I better get some stuff done before I have to head home. _

_I'll talk to you soon._

_Mary_

Alice didn't know what to think. She felt so bad for Mary, but she didn't know how to help her, either. She could give her some more money, and hope it helped, until they put her back on normal hours, but she didn't know how she'd get it to her.

Deciding that she'd write back to her later, Alice closed her laptop and left her room. She stopped by Emmett's room to see if he could help her, but he wasn't there. She saw Edward in his room and slowly approached his door.

"Hi, Edward." She said softly, relieved to see him smile. 'Do you know where Em is?"

Edward's brow wrinkled as he regarded her. "No, Ali, I don't. Is there something _I _can help you with?"

Alice shifted uncomfortably, not sure if Edward would be able to help her, or not. "Well, if you needed to send money to someone, but you couldn't write them a check, how could you do that?"

Ever predictable, Edward had to know the details before he would give her an answer.

"Who're you sending money to?"

Alice sighed. "It's just hypothetical, Edward, for... homework." She hoped he wouldn't figure out that she was lying.

"Oh." Edward said, looking at her closely. "Well, you can always get a money order."

Alice suddenly remembered her mom buying one at the grocery store once. "Oh yeah, at the grocery store, right?"

"Well, there, or at the bank." Edward answered, sliding the papers he was looking through, into a folder. He walked toward her. "Most places charge a fee, but I think our bank includes free ones if it's within a certain amount. I got one when I sent away for some sheet music once. It cost like, two bucks."

Alice smiled in relief. "Thanks, Edward."

He looked pleased. "Any time, Ali."

Alice looked at the folder in his hand. "I thought you guys were practicing this afternoon?"

Edward looked confused for a minute before his face brightened. "Oh, yeah, we are. I just had to grab some lyrics that Jas and I've been working on. One good thing about you two breaking up, Jas has been really creative lately." His face looked startled and then he gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Ali. That wasn't very nice of me to say." He smiled slightly. "Sometimes I forget that my little sister, Ali, and Jasper's girlfriend, Ali, are the same person."

Alice gave him a big grin, trying to hide her heartache. "Not any more!" She sang, attempting to lighten the awkward moment as she whirled around to go back to her room. "Well, thanks for the help, Edward."

He started to move down the hall, when he stopped and looked back at her thoughtfully. "You know, you can come to me for help sometimes. You don't always have to go to Em."

Alice's whole face lit up. "Thanks, Edward! I will." She turned and continued on to her room, feeling genuinely happy that Edward wanted to help her and refusing to think about Jasper.

Alice flipped open her laptop and went back to her email, replying quickly.

_Hi Mary!_

_I was so relieved to hear from you. I've been worried. I'm sorry things are still not going well for you. I was wondering if it would help if I sent you some money? I can mail you a money order. I wish I could do more, but I don't know what. _

_Things here are good. School is going well and I'm feeling okay. I wish I could see you, too. I just don't feel comfortable telling my family about you yet. I don't know if they would understand. _

_Well, let me know about the money. Talk to you soon!_

_Love, _

_Ali_

Alice hit 'send' and logged off. She set the laptop on her desk and went into the hallway. It was really quiet, so she went downstairs. Silence greeted her there, as well, and she realized that she was all alone in the house. Plopping down on the couch, she curled her legs under her and wondered where everyone was. She knew that Edward had gone next door, but she had no idea where Emmett or her mom could be.

~xo-0-ox~

"Emmett, honey, don't make any rash decisions, okay?" Esme counseled her eldest son. "I know you're really upset with Rose right now, but you'll work it out and then you'll regret doing this."

Emmett shook his head, his face sad. "No, Mom, even if Rose and I work things out, I can't take any chances on this. Graduating early will only help me in the long run."

"But what about your friends, and you'll miss playing baseball this spring." Esme argued. "Won't that mess things up?"

Esme looked extremely concerned and Emmett's chest felt tight. He didn't want to worry his parents, but he'd been thinking long and hard about this over the last few weeks and he knew it was the right thing to do.

"Mom, at this point, it'd be just a waste of time. If I leave for college right after Winter Break, instead of next August, I'll have a head start on my classes and I'll be all set should a team come calling." Emmett tried to put her at ease. "I'll still be in time to play ball in college and I'll be a season ahead."

"I suppose..." Esme hesitated, her eyes huge in her face. "I'm really proud of you, Em. I'm just not... ready to lose... my baby yet."

Emmett grinned and got up from the table to go around and give her a hug. "Aw, Mom." He chuckled. "You're not losing me. Besides, I'll be close enough to come home every couple of weekends... every weekend, if you want."

Esme hung onto him tightly. "I know, but, I won't see you every day." She let go of Emmett to get a tissue out of her purse. Still chuckling, Emmett went back to his seat.

Esme took a fortifying drink of her coffee after dabbing at her eyes. "Well, I suppose we should get home. Your dad'll be home soon and I'll have to go through this all over again."

With a smile, Emmett finished off his cola and threw a tip down on the table. He escorted his mom out of the cafe and opened the door of his Jeep for her. Stopping to rub her shoulder, he tried to comfort her.

"Mom, you know I'll always be your favorite son."

Esme smacked him on the arm and giggled. "Emmett, you're always going to be my favorite _outrageous_ son, you mean."

Alice heard a noise and opened her sleepy eyes. Standing at the end of the couch, was Jasper. He was looking down at her with a soft smile on his face. She smiled back and covered her mouth as she yawned.

"What time is it, Jas?" She asked, looking around, trying to wake up fully.

"It's after 6:00, Ali. We just got done practicing and I came over to get some blank sheet music from Edward. He's upstairs." He was still watching her, that gentle smile firmly on his face.

"Oh." Alice said, looking around uncomfortably, as the last few weeks came rushing back to her.

Jasper's smile widened seeing her discomfort. A couple hours ago, she was ripping him a new one, and now she looked all bashful and was blushing.

"You don't have to feel uneasy around me, darlin'." She looked up, startled. "It's still just me."

Alice smiled shyly, plucking at the edge of her sleeve. "Okay."

Jasper chuckled and continued looking at her adoringly.

Edward came bounding down the stairs. "Oh, there you are, Ali." He stated as he came over by the couch. He handed Jasper the sheaf of paper in his hand. "You seen Mom or Em?"

Ali shook her head. "No, I was wondering where they were when I came down earlier."

"Oh, well, I'm sure they'll be home soon. I think Dad'll be home tonight, and you know Mom won't be gone, if she can help it."

"Yeah, maybe she had to run to the store, or something." Alice offered, sitting up on the couch and smoothing down her hair. "I'm worried about Emmett, though. Ever since he and Rosalie started fighting, he's been so quiet and... unhappy. I don't know where he could be."

Both Edward and Jasper looked guilty as they exchanged glances. Alice watched them with a slight frown on her face.

"It's not your fault, you know." She reminded them, looking from one to the other. "They would've fought over this sooner, or later. You guys just brought it on sooner."

Edward looked puzzled, but Jasper scowled at her. "What do you mean, Ali... they would've fought any way?"

Alice nodded. "Well, yeah... Rosalie hates when Em doesn't agree with her, and Emmett obviously is on my side, so... it would've happened sooner, or later."

"Why does there have to be sides?" Jasper demanded, his scowl deepening. "Why can't we just work this out between the two of us? Everyone else should just stay out of it."

"Well,_ I _certainly didn't bring anyone else into our relationship, _Jasper_." Alice taunted as he gritted his teeth. "You can't blame that one on me."

"I'm not blaming anything on you, _Alice_." Jasper snapped, his eyes crackling with anger.

Edward watched his best friend and his sister as they glared at each other. He didn't know when Ali had grown a backbone, and he was proud of her, but he'd never seen her stand up to Jas like this before. Of course, he'd never seen Jasper treat anyone like he'd been treating Ali, either. In fact, he'd never known Jas to have a mean bone in his whole body, before now.

He shook his head. He guessed love did that to a person, made them act differently and drove them, and everyone around them, crazy. He was so glad that Bella was easy to get along with. He wasn't sure if he loved her, or not, but he'd sure hate to fight with her like these two were.

"You're just being a stubborn, bossy, little... snot." Jasper told her, his hands clenched.

Alice stuck her nose in the air and humphed as she got off the couch. "You can think whatever you like, Jasper Hale, but I don't have to stay here and put up with you."

With that, she flounced out of the room and up the stairs. She grinned when she heard Jasper curse, and had to cover her mouth to stop from laughing out loud.

_"Paybacks are hell, aren't they, Jasper?"_ She thought as she entered her room, a surge of triumph running through her. _"See if I ever let you treat me badly again." _

~xo-0-ox~

Emmett escorted his mom to the house just as Jasper was leaving to go back home, a scowl still on his face. He saw Emmett and Esme coming up the walk as he opened the front door.

"Hi, Ms. Esme. Hi, Em." He greeted them. "Ali and Edward were looking for you."

Esme looked uncomfortable as Emmett talked to Jasper.

"Oh, Mom and I just went out for a soda. I had some stuff I wanted to talk to her about."

"Oh... Okay..." Jasper murmured, surprise on his face. "I guess I'll see you later, then." He said to Em, before smiling at Esme as he held the door for her.

"Night, Ms. Esme."

"Night, Jasper." She returned, pausing to address him once more. "Oh, honey, are you planning to help at the shelter tomorrow?"

Jasper smiled and nodded his head. "Of course. I wouldn't miss it." He told her. "We've got a game at night, but I plan to be there in the morning."

Esme gave him a proud smile. "Thank you, dear. I appreciate it, and I know the girls down at the shelter do, too."

Jasper grinned at her and puffed out his chest slightly. "I'm glad to be of help."

Esme patted his arm as she stepped past him into the house. Emmett stayed back and Jasper looked up to see his eyes twinkling. He knew by the look in his friend's eye, that he was in for it. With a groan, he closed the Cullen's front door.

Emmett chuckled and Jasper shot him a glare, which just made Emmett laugh harder.

"Get it over with, Em." Jasper demanded, trying to hide the beginning of a grin.

"What a puss." Emmett commented, daring Jasper with his eyes to retaliate. When he didn't, Emmett went on. "Oh... Ms. Esme..." He said in a falsetto voice. "I'm soooooo glad to be of help, even if I am a pretty little princess."

Jasper laughed. "Ha! That the best you got?" He asked, both of their eyes twinkling. "That shit got old years ago."

"Well, you're still the prettiest person on this street... even prettier than the girls. Too bad I don't do boys..." Emmett taunted, watching for Jasper's reaction.

"Well, better to be pretty than ugly as your mug." Jasper shot back, the corners of his mouth threatening to curve.

"That's fine. I do all right. I just wanna' know how it feels to look in the mirror and know that you'll never find a girlfriend prettier than you." Emmett burst out laughing at that dig. Looking over at his best friend, he sobered slightly as he continued to taunt him.

"What're you doing here, anyway? Coming back to let Ali rip you another new asshole?" Finally seeing the reaction on Jasper's face he was hoping for, he continued his jabs.

"Oh, Jasper, you're acting all... pissy... and you're even prettier than me." Emmett said in a high-pitched voice, pretending to be his sister. "Please don't steal all the girly-men away from the rest of us ladies."

He roared with laughter at the reaction he got this time, and Jasper launched himself at him. The two of them were rolling around on the front lawn when Esme came to the door. She rolled her eyes at the two of them and cleared her throat.

"Um... excuse me... uh... gentlemen... ?" She stated clearly. "Dad's on his way home, Emmett, and he wants to take us out to dinner."

Emmett looked up at his mom, Jasper on his back with his arms wrapped around his throat. "Okay, Mom. I can be ready. Just let me take care of this little... problem."

Esme heard Jasper laugh and shook her head. "Whatever you say, dear. Try not to rip your pants this time."

"Okay, Mom!" She heard Emmett call as she went back into the house. She smiled to herself, glad that some things were back to normal.

Carlisle parked his car in the garage, happy to be home with his family. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to a night out, just a normal family dinner. Just then, the door into the house flew open and Alice came dancing into the garage, her face glowing with excitement, dark curls flying out behind her.

"Daddy! Daddy! Guess what?" She sang and he couldn't help the huge smile that curved his face.

"I have no idea, Punkin, but it's obviously made you very happy." He commented, watching her practically vibrate with excitement.

"Kristy just called and asked me to try out for the pom-pon squad at school." Alice told him, barely able to contain her enthusiasm. "They're going ahead with a Junior squad and she thinks I'd be perfect for it."

Carlisle's whole being was alight as he absorbed the happiness on his baby daughter's face.

"That's terrific, Ali." He enthused, walking forward to give her a big hug. As he drew back, a pang hit him in the chest. His baby girl was growing up and he didn't know how he would handle it. Trying to focus back on her, he continued the conversation.

"So when are these try-outs?" He asked, walking with her to the house.

"We start on Monday, but the actual try-outs aren't until Thursday." Alice enthused, her hands waving in her excitement. "We'll learn a routine and then perform it in front of the judges. Kristy is coming over tomorrow to give me some pointers."

"Isn't that cheating?" Carlisle couldn't help but ask.

Alice shook her head. "No. I asked that, too, but Kristy said that she doesn't know the routine, the Varsity captains made it up, and the judges will be some of the high school teachers that don't know us younger girls."

"Well, that sounds fair, then." Carlisle admitted, giving his daughter an encouraging smile. "What will you be pom-ponning for? Football games?"

"No, Daddy. Football is almost over." Alice told him, rolling her eyes. "We'll dance for the Junior Varsity _basketball_ games. We might even get to dance for some of the Varsity games, too."

"Really? Wow, that would be something, wouldn't it?" Carlisle commented, thinking that maybe he wasn't too comfortable with his young daughter dancing in front of almost grown boys. "What do you wear for this... dancing?"

Alice laughed. "Daddy! You sound just like Emmett." She giggled, dancing in front of him as they entered the house. "We wear uniforms, just like the older girls, except ours will be red with black and white on them, where theirs are white with black and red."

"Okay, now that I know the color of the uniform, I'll repeat my original question." Carlisle deadpanned. "What do you wear for this dancing?"

"Daddy!" Alice giggled and swatted his arm. "It's a sleeveless top and a skirt. There're even bottoms we wear over our underwear. It's perfectly respectable and covers way more than my bathing suit."

Carlisle looked slightly relieved, but his face still showed his concern. "Well, I think I'll be the judge of that, once I see this _uniform_."

Alice rolled her eyes again as she tugged him into the house and shut the door.

~xo-0-ox~

"So, what do you think, Dad?" Emmett asked, his bright blue-green eyes searching his father's face as he and his parents faced each other in Carlisle's office.

"Well, Son, I'm impressed that you're thinking ahead and being so responsible, but I don't want you to rush your childhood, either. You only get to be a kid once."

Emmett groaned and rolled his eyes. He knew his dad would say something like that, he always did, but he'd expected it, and he was prepared.

"Dad! I'm way past rushing my childhood." Emmett admonished, glancing at his mom. "I'll be eighteen soon and a head-start on college is a great plan, don't you think?"

"Well, yes I do." He glanced at his wife, then back at his son. "I just want to make sure you're wanting this for the right reasons."

"I know." Emmett agreed. "I already had this conversation with Mom. I assure you, I'm not just planning to graduate early to get even with Rose. I want to get a head start on my future and I can't do that here." He looked pleadingly between his parents, waiting for their reaction.

Finally, Carlisle cleared his throat. "Well, I can't think of any other reasons why this is a bad idea." He looked over at his wife again. "Can you, my love?"

Esme shook her head, her eyes shiny with moisture. "Not really." She admitted, her voice a little huskier than usual. "Except for the fact that I'm not ready for him to leave the nest, yet."

Emmett sighed. "Oh, Mom! I told you, I'll come home every weekend, if you want me to."

Esme chuckled and glanced at her husband. "Oh to be young and delusional again."

Both of them chuckled and Emmett cast them a puzzled look.

Walking out of his dad's office, Emmett closed the door so his parents could have a few moments of privacy. On his way up the stairs to his room, he ran into his younger brother. Figuring now was as good a time as any, he asked Edward if he could talk to him for a minute.

"You can't be serious, Em." Edward exclaimed, when Emmett shared his news with him. "I don't get why you'd want to graduate early. I just don't know what to say."

Emmett looked concerned. "You don't have to say anything, Ed. I just wanted to tell you before anyone else."

"So you haven't told Jas or Rose yet?" Emmett shook his head. Edward's eyes widened. "Oh... Wow... Rose is gonna' hit the roof..."

Emmett gave a dry laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "Don't I know it, but she's not gonna' talk me out of it. It's what I really wanna' do."

Edward got off the bed and patted his big brother on the back, giving him an affectionate smile. "Well, then that's what you gotta' do, Em." Edward agreed, his smile turning proud. "You gotta' do what makes you happy and Rosalie will have to do what makes her happy, whether you both agree, or not."

Emmett grimaced. "That's the part I'm not looking forward to."

Edward laughed and patted him on the back again. "I don't blame you... and I sure don't envy you, either."

As Edward's loud laughter followed him out of the door, Emmett called after him.

"Thanks a lot, Buddy! I knew I could count on you for support." He grinned as he heard Edward's laughter all the way down the stairs. He laid on his bed and his mind went to what he would say to Rosalie and Jasper. He knew that Jasper would be upset, but he'd understand. Rose, on the other hand, would pitch a fit and make his life a living hell, worse than she was making it now.

Having already told his mom and dad that he wasn't feeling up to going to dinner with them, Emmett made his way down stairs to say good bye. Everyone had gathered in the kitchen and they looked up when he entered the room.

"Hi, Em!" Alice greeted him cheerfully. "Dad said the same thing about the uniforms that you did."

Emmett smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's because the men in this family don't want the women in this family, being ogled by strange men."

He grinned when Alice cracked up and his eyes went to his dad. Carlisle was watching his troubled son with compassion. He knew Emmett was in for a difficult time, but he was so proud of him for standing up for what he wanted and making hard decisions.

"You sure you don't want to go to dinner with us, son?"

Emmett nodded. "I'm sure. Thanks, anyway, Dad. I just have too much on my mind."

"No problem, Emmett. I understand." A thoughtful look crossed his features. "I suppose we should arrange a meeting with your counselor and the principal, so we can make sure that your plan will work. You say you already have enough credits to graduate once the quarter is over?"

Emmett nodded and Esme added to the conversation.

"Once the semester's over, he'll have just enough credits. His only setback is that he needs another semester of gym, but since he volunteered as a swim coach last winter, his counselor said he could use that for credit, if he needed it.

Carlisle nodded as he studied his eldest son. His eyes flicked over to Edward when he heard his voice.

"I don't understand what the big deal is." Edward stated, his gaze traveling between his parents and his brother. "Why would you wanna' leave early any way? Why not just stay here until next year?"

Alice took all of this in and her eyes widened when the realization of what they were saying, sunk in.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, clearing her throat when the word came out in a croak. "Emmett's leaving?"

Emmett's head swiveled toward his baby sister, dismay on his face. _How could he forget to tell Alice? _He'd been so intent on getting his parents' reactions that he'd forgot all about letting Alice know what was going on.

"Um... well... I might be." Emmett faltered, watching her eyes fill with tears and her bottom lip quiver. "I'm thinking of graduating at Christmas and starting college this spring, instead of in the fall."

A tear slowly slid down Alice's soft cheek as the accusation shone from her eyes. "I can't believe you didn't tell me." She whispered, slowly shaking her head. "It's my fault, isn't it?" When Emmett shook his head and opened his mouth to argue with her, Alice raised her voice. "It's because of you and Rose fighting. If I hadn't broken up with Jas, you'd be happy with Rose and wouldn't be making plans to leave."

Alice felt her dad place his hand on her arm. "Now, Alice, you know that's not true."

Alice shook off his hand and glared at him. "Do I?" She hissed, her eyes going back to the brother she'd thought would never betray her. "Do I know it's not true? He never mentioned anything like that before he and Rose broke up. Now she's going on dates with other guys and suddenly, Em's leaving after Christmas?"

Alice crossed her arms over her chest, her face angry. "When were any of you going to tell _me_?" She pinned each of them with her glare, settling on Emmett once more. "No one even thought to ask how _I_ feel about it, but apparently, everyone else knows already. Am I even still part of this family?"

She swiped at her cheek as she angrily stalked from the room. Esme and Carlisle exchanged worried frowns and Emmett watched them, his face full of regret.

"I'll go." He said, turning to follow the person he'd never thought he'd ever hurt.

Emmett found Alice sitting on her bed, her face buried in Jasmine's fur. She'd managed to stop her tears, but her face still showed her anger. Emmett sat down next to her and studied his hands, clenched together in his lap. Finally, his voice broke the silence.

"Well... where do I start, Teensy?" He asked, his lighter blue eyes colliding with the darker blue of his sister's. "I sure managed to screw this up, didn't I?" He sighed when she didn't answer him and he searched for the right words to explain.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, Ali." He started, still studying his hands. "You do know you mean the world to me, right?" He looked over at her, but she wouldn't raise her head to look at him. "I think... I think the reason I... forgot to tell you...well, _avoided_ telling you... is because I just didn't know how to. I mean... I knew you'd be upset... I didn't even think about you blaming yourself, but I did know that it'd be hard on you."

Emmett turned to face Alice and took her hands into his, forcing her to turn her body toward him. "Ali, the thought of not seeing you for weeks at a time is the only part of this decision that's killing me." Her eyes finally rose to meet his and he winced at the raw pain he saw there. "I can't even think about it right now, it's too hard, but I really need to do this. I wanna' play pro ball and the only way for me to do that, is to get out there and go for it. If I'm not good enough, then I'll have college to fall back on, but I'll never know if I don't try."

He watched the emotions swirl in the depths of her eyes and he let her digest his words for a minute. When her eyes met his once more, he bent down to look deep into her soul.

"I love you, Ali, more than you can possibly know, but I've got to make my place in the world and I know in my gut that this is the right thing to do." Her face cleared a little and he felt hope blossom in his chest.

"Do you understand what this means to me?" He asked. Alice nodded slowly, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you directly. I'm a selfish jerk. Can you forgive me?"

Alice nodded again, her eyes drinking in his beloved face. "I should've come and told you as soon as I got done talking with Mom and Dad... in fact, I should've told you and Edward together, but Ed just happened to be coming down the hall and... I admit, I was dreading telling you."

Alice's eyes widened. "You were?" When he nodded, she looked puzzled. "Why?"

"Well, I know how much you rely on me being there, and how tight of a bond we have, and I was afraid that we'd both get really upset." He smiled sadly at her as he reached over to pet her kitten. "I'm having a really hard time knowing that I won't be able to see you every day."

Alice smiled at him, her eyes shimmering again. "I'll miss you so much, Em."

Emmett cleared his throat, his eyes suspiciously shiny, and it was a minute before he could talk. "I'll miss you, too, Short Stack."

Alice grinned at him, but then her smile disappeared. "What did Rose say?" She asked, her eyes intent on his face.

Emmett grimaced. "I... I haven't told her... yet."

Alice's eyes got even wider. "You haven't?" When Emmett shook his head, Alice bit her lip in sympathy. "What about Jas?"

When Emmett shook his head again, Alice's mouth dropped open. "You haven't told him, either?"

Emmett ran his hand through his hair. "Nope." He said, the grimace still on his face. "I wanted to talk about it with you guys first."

"Oh man..." Alice whispered. "Rose is going to be really mad... and Jasper! Lord, Em... he's going to be more than upset."

Emmett nodded his head. "I know... but they'll both just have to deal with it. You guys are most important and, if you're all behind me, that's all I need.

Alice smiled lovingly at him. "You can count on me, Em. I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

Emmett drew his precious baby sister into his arms for a loving hug and, squeezing her tightly, he wondered if his decision was the right thing to do after all, as he felt the wetness from her tears on his cheek.

Dinner that night was a bittersweet affair without Emmett's amusing contribution to the conversation. No one blamed him for not feeling like going out with them but, knowing he was home alone and feeling down, made everyone else a little sad, too.

"How's your dinner, my love?" Carlisle asked his wife as he saw her simply pushing her food around on her plate. She looked up, a smile on her face, but Carlisle had seen the wounded look in her eyes before she'd managed to cover it with her smile.

"It's delicious, my heart, but I find I'm not as hungry as I thought." She set her fork down and took a drink of her Iced Tea.

"It'll be alright, you know that, right?" He asked her, his hand making soothing patterns on her wrist.

Her eyes shone with moisture as she gazed lovingly at him.

"Yes, I know." She admitted, before letting out a little sigh. "I just hate to see Emmett having to go through so much pain." She put her hand over her heart, her smile sad. "And where did the time go, Carlisle? Emmett can't possibly be old enough to be on his own yet."

"I know... " Her husband agreed, adding his sigh to the conversation. "It seems like he should only be about ten, doesn't it?" His eyes drank in the love shining from his beautiful wife's eyes. "I guess they have to grow up, eventually, and we can't protect them from everything." He added, turning his gaze to his adorable daughter as she watched her mom with concerned eyes.

His mind went back to the revelation of her being sexually and physically abused by his best friend's son. A boy he thought of as his own son, and he wondered when he'd lost control of his life and family. It was one thing to be dedicated to his profession, but quite another to be neglectful of his family. He knew big changes were coming, but he didn't know if they should be embraced, or feared.


	76. Making Up Is Hard To Do

**A/N: Just a quick note, I want you to know that I really appreciate your patience in waiting for updates to this story. I know I promised that I'd be getting back to my weekly updating schedule after long delays due to real life events. Recently we had a beloved family member pass away unexpectantly and, I have to admit, my mojo just wasn't there. It's been almost a month now and I'm slowly getting back into my groove. Hopefully, it won't be so long between updates now. Best wishes to you all and I really hope you enjoy this chapter. ~ Charli**

76.

Making Up Is Hard To Do

_**Warning: this chapter talks about rape and abuse, please read with caution.**_

Rosalie saw Carlisle's car pull out of the garage next door and strained her eyes to see if Emmett was with them. Seeing only Edward and Alice in the back seat, she gave a little prayer of thanks and made her way to the back door. Slipping out, she walked swiftly across the back yard to the Cullens' door and cautiously peeked inside.

"Emmett?" She called, looking around the kitchen. When no one answered, Rosalie walked inside and shut the door behind her.

"_Maybe he's sleeping"_, she thought as she went through the living room to the stairs. At the top of the stairs, she heard the shower running and, with an impish grin, hurried down the hall to Emmett's bedroom. She closed the door softly and climbed onto his bed.

Emmett felt better now that he'd showered. His head felt a little clearer and his mood was lighter. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad, after all. All he needed to do was break the news of his leaving to Rosalie and Jasper, and give them time to adjust. They both knew he was leaving next fall for college any way. What was a few months? He'd be home for summer break before they knew it, and then he and Rosalie would leave again for college. No big deal.

_If it's no big deal, why're you dreading telling them so much? _

He shook his head with a groan and pulled his underwear on. Running his hand through his damp hair, he walked down the hallway, then paused with a confused frown. He was sure he'd left his bedroom door open. Approaching slowly, his breath held to listen for any sounds, he quietly turned the knob and peeked into the room. He looked around the room but didn't see anyone.

_You're losing it, Em, old boy. _He chuckled again, shaking his head at his own silliness. Looking towards the bed, Emmett's face lit up with a smile. There, sound asleep and curled around one of his pillows, was Rosalie.

Rose felt a soft tickle on her cheek and her eyes popped open in surprise. It took her a second to figure out where she was before her eyes focused on the face of her beloved Em.

"Hi. I'm glad you came to see me." He told her, a loving smile on his face.

She smiled sweetly back. "I'm glad I did, too." Then her face sobered and she patted the bed for him to join her. "Emmett, I'm so sorry that I'm such a bitch. I don't mean to be."

"You're not a bitch, Rose." He said as he stroked her velvety cheek. "You just need to realize that I'm not always going to agree with you. That doesn't mean you're wrong, it just means we're two different people with two different minds."

Rosalie looked down at the bed in shame. She had a hard time admitting she was wrong, but she was an honorable person and she knew it was the right thing to do. "I suppose you're right."

Emmett watched her with all the love he felt in his eyes, his touch gentle on her face.

"How come you're so good to me, Em?" She asked him, her eyes sad knowing the pain she'd caused him. "I really don't deserve you."

"It's a simple answer, Babe." He told her, cupping her face with both hands. "I love you."

His eyes burned into hers. Her heart swelled with the force of his love shining in his beautiful blue eyes. "I've loved you my whole life. I'm not about to stop now."

Emmett grinned when he saw Rosalie's eyes fill with tears. He loved when she was all emotional and girly. It happened so rarely and he was going to enjoy it when he could.

"Oh, Emmett. I love you, too." She gushed and pulled his face down to hers. Before her plump, pink lips touched his, she whispered one word that made his heart sing. "Forever."

Their mouths seemed on fire as they greedily explored the other's. Then the fire spread elsewhere and Emmett felt as though a dam had burst releasing all of his pent-up frustration. Groaning low in his throat, he pulled Rosalie impossibly close and continued to devour her mouth. She sunk her fingers in his dark curls and arched her neck as his hot mouth moved to her throat.

"Oh, yes... Emmett..." She whispered, her breath coming in small, soft pants.

Emmett hurriedly pushed the material of her blouse aside and then let his eyes roam over Rose's creamy, full breasts. The lace bra that displayed them to his eager eyes, made her look even sexier. Unable to keep away from her, he fumbled with the bra before she finally helped him unfasten it, throwing her head back with a gasp as he fastened his scorching lips around a large, pink nipple.

"Oh God, Rosie... you're so beautiful... so perfect..." He groaned against her gorgeous flesh before moving back up to her mouth to caress her tongue with his.

Rosalie felt a warm glow all over and reveled in her true love's embrace. Not being able to stand being away from him another minute, she pleaded with him to make her his, once and for all.

He looked deeply into her eyes, his teeth worrying his lip. "Rose... I don't know..." He told her, indecision replacing the desire in his brilliant eyes.

"I want to, Emmett... I love you..." She pleaded, the fire in her eyes blazing a bright green. As though to prove her case, she reached between them to wrap her elegant hand around his rock hard length for the first time.

Emmett watched her eyes widen before yanking her to him with a deep groan. "God, Rose... stop me if I go too far. I don't think I can stop myself."

Rosalie continued to stroke his hot skin with her hands as well as her eyes, and soon found herself naked, Emmett's hands running greedily over her silken body. He touched her everywhere but where she wanted him most. She panted from the sensations traveling through her and tried to ignore the almost painful need between her thighs.

She almost sobbed when her love finally parted the soft golden curls between her legs to stroke the aching flesh within.

"Please, Emmett... don't stop." She moaned as he parted her legs further and marveled at how wet she was.

"God, Rosie." He moaned, his own body about to explode. "You're so wet for me... so hot..."

He drew his girl to a frenzy with his fingers and watched her as she squealed out her release, her nails digging into his arm. He couldn't help the huge grin that split his face as feelings of power surged through him. He'd done that to her... he'd been the one to give her that pleasure. He watched her intently as her senses returned and chuckled at the blush that colored her cheeks when she saw that he was watching her.

Rosalie didn't often feel embarrassment but, as she came back down to earth and saw Emmett staring at her, a huge shit-eating grin on his face, she's felt the heat flow into her face and wanted to just disappear. Instead, she did what she did best, she stiffened up in anger and was about to give him a piece of her mind.

"You know I love you... don't be mad." Emmett murmured against her throat. "I barely ever get to see you blush, it gets me so hot."

Rosalie giggled and reached down to push his boxers off, but he grabbed her hand. "What're you up to now?" He asked her, searching her face with his eyes.

"Your turn." She sang out, giggling in her happiness.

He looked concerned, but eager as he asked her if she was sure. At her nod and smile of encouragement, Emmett settled himself in the cradle of her thighs, still not quite sure.

"God, Rosie... you feel so... good." He told her, love and lust warring within him as his heavy sex rubbed against her heat. When he moved closer to her warmth, she stilled him by calling his name.

"Emmett..." She called to him softly. "Emmy... you need a condom, honey..." She saw him comprehend what she was saying and giggled as he leapt up eagerly from the bed to get a foil packet out of his wallet. He ran back to the bed and landed next to her with a bounce that nearly knocked her to the floor. Giggling at his antics, she watched his eyes soften as the roamed over her before he covered her mouth in a sweet kiss. She playfully grabbed his hardness and he groaned out his need.

"Rose..." He said with a strangled breath, drawing back to look down at her. She took the packet from his hand.

"Hurry, Em..." She urged before he took it from her again and ripped it open. He tried to put it over himself, but his big hands couldn't manage it in his excitement. Rosalie grabbed it and smoothed it down his sizable length. She grinned at her handy work a second before she was pushed back against the pillows, her mouth and neck being ravaged.

Emmett couldn't wait much longer. His whole body was on fire and he knew he wouldn't last if he didn't make love to Rosalie now. Spreading her legs with his knees, he prodded her entrance as he continued to drag his lips down her silky throat.

Pushing into her slightly, he felt her stiffen up and take a deep breath, but she felt so overwhelmingly good that he couldn't stop.

"It feels so good..." He moaned into the soft skin under his lips. "Tell me if I... hurt you... p-promise?"

Rose nodded, then her voice ripped from her throat. "I.. I will..."

Putting his hands under her butt, Emmett slid further into her scorching tightness, stopping only when he felt her barrier, firmly in place. He knew he had to hurt her to finish what they started, but he dreaded doing it. He'd never hurt anyone on purpose in his entire life, and he felt like he was paying with a piece of his soul for the pleasure she promised.

Pulling back out a little, Emmett gritted his teeth and nuzzled his face into Rosalie's silky hair.

"I love you, Rosalie." He whispered. Praying it was over quickly, he swiftly brought his hips forward and tore through his only love's innocence. He heard her gasp and he drew back to search her face.

Her eyes were shut tight and she held her breath. He wanted to take her pain unto himself, but knew he couldn't as he waited for her to get used to his invasion. The urge to move in and out of her burning hot passage was almost his undoing, but the knowledge that he was the source of her pain, helped him to resist. He placed his forehead on hers and closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath.

Feeling a gentle touch on his bottom lip, Emmett opened his eyes and gazed into the depths of love. Rose's green eyes twinkled up at him, her expression adoring, and he let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Are you okay, Rosie?" He asked her desperately, his concern for her, adorable.

Rose giggled, and nodded, her hand gliding over his chin and down over his chest.

"I'm fine." She whispered, then an impish grin curled her lips. "A little... stretched... but fine."

Emmett chuckled at her teasing and then leaned down to kiss her sweetly. Rose wouldn't stand for it, though, and wrapped her legs around his hips and licked at his lips with her tongue. In minutes, Emmett was feeling the fire overwhelm him. He surged in and out of her sweet warmth until they were both panting, Emmett on the edge.

He placed his forehead to hers once more and looked down into her hazy green gaze. "I'm not gonna' last much longer, Love."

"Keep going, Em... don't stop..." Rosalie panted out, wanting to see his face when he fell apart. He'd gotten to watch her, now she wanted to watch him.

Emmett fastened his lips to the place where her shoulder met her slim throat and moved his hips urgently. Rosalie hung on for dear life as Emmett rocked her wildly before stiffening with a roar, only muffled by the damp skin of her shoulder.

Emmett's weight settled on Rosalie with a gasp. She had a hard time drawing a breath, but she decided she loved the way he felt all boneless and pliant against her. She hugged him to her as his whole body rose and fell, trying to draw enough oxygen in to settle back to normal.

He raised his head, still gasping for breath and, as he gazed into her face, realized he was crushing her.

"Oh, God! Rose, I'm so sorry." He said as he took his weight onto his powerful arms. "Are you alright?"

She grinned up at him. "I'm great." She chirped, loving the way he looked at her. He rolled to his side, taking her with him, and snuggled her tight to his chest. He kissed her forehead, her hair, anywhere he could reach.

"I love you so much, Rosie." He murmured against her skin. "So much." She smiled at him happily and looked pointedly down where the condom still covered him. He removed the latex sheath and disposed of it before drawing her back onto him.

She nestled against him, happy and content for the first time in more than a month, in her whole life, actually, and practically purred her satisfaction into the sprinkling of dark hair covering his wide chest.

Emmett sighed, perfectly pleased with himself as he absently ran his hand through Rosalie's hair, sweeping it back from her face. Then his hand stilled as he recalled that Rose hadn't really enjoyed what they'd done. He cleared his throat and voiced his concern.

"Rosie, I'm sorry I hurt you. The next time will be better, I promise, Love." He kissed her forehead tenderly and continued to stroke her hair.

Rosalie raised up to look him in the eye. "Everything was perfect, Emmett. Better than I could've ever imagined." She leaned forward to kiss him sweetly, his lips clinging to hers. When she lay back atop him, they both sighed with happiness.

"I really do love you, Emmett, and I'm sorry for the way I acted." She looked contrite and Emmett smiled at her admission.

"Things will be alright, Rose." He assured her, her bright hair gliding through his fingers. "As long as we remember our love for each other, we'll always find our way." Then his stomach dropped as he remembered that he had something to admit to her, as well. He didn't want to spoil the happy mood, though, and decided to wait until later... much later.

~xo-0-ox~

Carlisle rubbed his hand over his face and up through his hair. His head ached from the whirl of thoughts going through his mind and he couldn't find any relief. Just then, he heard a noise by the door to his office and looked up to see his life-long friend standing there.

"Hey, Jax." He said as Jackson walked into the room. He noticed the weariness on his friend's face as he took a seat in front of his desk. "How were things when you left the hospital?"

Jackson grimaced and shook his head. "Crazy." He groaned. "I didn't have five minutes peace all night."

Carlisle sympathized with him. He'd felt that way many times himself. "Glad you made it out of there, then." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again, looking at the papers strewn across his desk. "I'm so glad I don't have to go in tonight. I've got enough to keep me busy here for a couple of days."

Jackson's eyes took in the papers and he frowned. "You know, we're getting too old for this, Carlisle. Why haven't we started our own practice, like we said we were?"

"I don't know, Jax." Carlisle said, shaking his head. "I guess the time was never right."

Jackson nodded, tiredly, before his eyes swung toward the window at the sound of raised voices. He looked back at Carlisle, both their eyes wide and their brows in their hairlines.

"I don't care, Jasper!" They heard Alice yell. "You can go to hell, for all I care!"

If they hadn't been so shocked, both men would've busted out laughing at those words coming out of sweet, little Ali's mouth.

"I _am_ in hell, Alice!" They heard Jasper yell back. "I've been in hell for weeks now! When are you going to get over yourself and stop being such a spoiled, little brat?"

"Never! I hope you stay in hell forever! In fact, I hope you rot in hell!" Alice screamed at the top of her lungs. "I hate you, Jasper Hale! I hate your guts!"

They heard Jasper yell back, but couldn't make out his words over the sound of Alice's scream of frustration and the slamming of the front door. As quiet again settled on Carlisle's haven, both men just stared at each other. Finally, Carlisle's soft voice broke the silence.

"Well, that was... um... interesting." He chuckled and shook his head.

Jackson nodded. "Very." With a laugh, he continued. "Why did we want to move next door to each other and have kids, again?"

Carlisle laughed. "Beats the hell outta' me."

When both men quieted their laughter, Carlisle continued. "You know, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better, don't you?"

Jackson looked concerned, his brow lowered in puzzlement. "How so?" He asked.

"Well," Carlisle looked down at his desktop, dreading being the bearer of bad news. Looking back up, he squared his shoulders. "Emmett dropped quite a bomb on Esme and I last night."

At Jackson's surprised look, Carlisle went on.

"It seems that he's all prepared to graduate at Christmas and head to college for the spring semester. He's so serious that he's already checked everything out. His counselor at the college faxed all of the papers to me this morning and we have an appointment with the principal over at the high school on Monday."

Jackson continued to look at him in surprise as though trying to make sense of what he'd said. Realization showed in his eyes and he cleared his throat. "There'll be no peace around here now. You know that, don't you?"

When Carlisle nodded slowly, Jackson put his hand over his face and groaned. "Lord... when Rose finds out, Alice's little outburst will seem like angels singing."

"I think that's part of the reason that Em hasn't told her yet." Carlisle agreed with a weary sigh. "Our kids have gone from the closest of friends, to the worst of enemies, all within a couple of weeks. How did this happen, Jax? How did we lose control of our families?"

Jackson shook his head. "I don't know, my friend, but we've got to get it back. I can't take the madness at the hospital _and_ the madness at home. We've got to do something."

"Well, don't tell Rose and Jasper, okay? Let Em handle that. Until then, just try and hang in there." When Jackson nodded, Carlisle approached the subject they'd touched on moments ago. "Not to add more to your burden, but what say we discuss going into private practice some more? We're not getting any younger, Jackson, and I know the Hens would appreciate it. Lord knows, they've put up with our crazy schedules far longer than we ever planned."

Jackson stood up and paced the room. "Yeah... I suppose." He sighed, putting his hands in his pockets and turning once more toward his dearest friend. "Lynn's business is busier than ever and, with all the drama with the kids, Esme can't be having an easy time of it. Let's do it. Let's just set things up, and do it. Everything's in an uproar already, what's one more change?"

Both men quietly agreed to have a talk with their wives later, before Jackson left to seek out a shower and his bed.

~xo-0-ox~

Esme glanced over at Jasper's scowling face as they drove to the women's shelter. She felt sorry for him, after all, she loved him as though he were one of her own, but she also knew that his unhappiness was a direct result of his own behavior. Deciding to say what was on her mind, Esme cleared her throat, drawing the boy's attention to her.

"That was quite a scene you and Ali put on this morning, huh?" She said softly.

Jasper frowned and looked down at his lap. "Yeah, I guess."

Esme let out a soft chuckle. "I don't think I've ever heard Ali scream quite like that before."

He shrugged, his attention on the denim of his jeans.

"Would you believe that Carlisle and I have had quite a few screaming matches like that?" Esme asked, seeing Jasper's head come up in surprise out of the corner of her eye.

"No." Jasper gasped, his eyes round.

Esme nodded. "When we were younger, before Emmett came along, Carlisle and I differed in opinion quite a bit."

"But... but you're so... so... soft-spoken, Ms. Esme." Jasper stated, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, not always." She said with a smile. "Carlisle and I argued day and night about me working after the baby came. I wanted to keep working part-time, and Carlisle wanted me to stay home." Esme told him. "It doesn't sound like a lot now, but I loved my job and I didn't want to lose it, or my independence."

Jasper nodded, continuing her story with certainty. "But you gave in and did what Mr. Carlisle wanted."

Esme laughed and shook her head. "Not really, dear. I dug in my heels and he agreed that it was my life and I should do what I wanted." Esme looked over to see Jasper frowning. "He said we'd figure it out as we went along."

"But... why don't you work, then?" He asked, his face still puzzled.

"Because, once I looked at that baby's sweet little face, my perspective changed and suddenly, my only job was to be at home with him." Esme said in a soft, affectionate voice. "So you see, Jasper, Carlisle may have gotten his way in the long run, but he realized that I'm my own person and I have to do what's right for me, too."

Jasper nodded, his face bunched in concentration. "So, you're saying that, if I just let Ali do what she wants, eventually, she'll do what I want?"

Esme laughed and pulled into the parking space at the shelter. She looked over to see his eyes dancing and a cheeky grin on his face.

"Jasper! That's not exactly what I meant, and you know it." She laughed again, and swatted him on the arm. When their laughter died down, Esme looked seriously at the son of her heart. "Maybe if you tried just being there for Ali, not talking about your relationship or what you want from her, she'd be a little more willing to spend time with you, honey." She smoothed the hair back from his eyes. "She's trying to find her place in the world, Jas, and if you keep trying to force her to be what you want her to be, she'll just keep fighting you. Just be there for her, like you used to be." Esme told him, seeing the understanding in his eyes. "No judgement or yelling, just her supportive, loving Jasper. She'll come around when she sees you making an effort."

Jasper smiled at her and she was struck by how handsome he'd become. She had a feeling that he'd break a lot of hearts before he was settled.

"So, you think she'll want to spend time with me if I do that?" He asked, drawing her back to the conversation.

Esme nodded. "I think she misses you as much as you miss her, Jas. In fact, I think she misses the way it used to be between the two of you. You know, movies, snuggling, games? She's just not ready for such a serious relationship, honey, and really, neither are you."

Jasper nodded, looking guilty. "I know." He agreed, glancing down at his lap again. "I talked with my counselor about that."

"Yeah?" Esme coaxed quietly. "What did she say?"

"Well..." Jasper picked at the seam on his leg, and Esme could see his cheeks had turned pink. She patiently waited to see what he'd say. She didn't want to force him or embarrass him, but she knew that, sometimes, people needed someone to talk to and she'd always been there for him before. Finally, he looked up at her and she wasn't surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes.

"She said... she said that, I... a-abused... Ali..." He admitted softly, his voice slightly raspy from emotion. A tear ran down his cheek and Esme reached out and wiped it away, a soft, loving smile on her face. "... a-and that I... I needed to... w-work out m-my... possessive feelings and... anger toward... her."

Jasper begged her with his eyes to understand. "I... I didn't mean to... I love Ali... I always h-have. I was only... doing what I... I thought I was... s-supposed to do. You know... when you love someone?" When Esme nodded, he went on. "I j-just wanted us to be... h-happy, but Ali... she wouldn't cooperate. She k-kept... ch-changing." Jasper swallowed thickly, trying to regain control of himself.

"Changing, how, honey?" Esme asked, her voice still soft and accepting.

"Well..." Jasper thought as he wiped his wet face and sniffed. "She kept... flirting with all these... g-guys... like she wanted th-them... instead of m-me." He looked hurt and confused. "Why would she do that, Ms. Esme? She said she l-loved me, but she's always talking to o-other g-guys."

Esme chuckled and, when Jasper frowned, she chuckled again. "Oh, honey... Alice doesn't think of that as flirting. She's just being her usual, friendly self. Think about it. Except for Rosalie, all Ali's ever had were you, her brothers, and all your friends. She's really only made any girl friends in the last year. She's comfortable around boys because she's been around them all her life. She doesn't see herself as attractive to them, they're just her big brothers' friends, and she's still the little sister."

Esme looked thoughtful as she watched Jasper's face. "You know, I don't think she quite understands the attraction you have to her, either." Esme told him, plunging forward, now that they'd gone this far. "To her, you're still Jasper, her childhood hero and savior. I know she loves you, and none of us ever doubted that you two would end up together, but she's only thirteen years old, Jas. In so many ways, she's still just a baby. She's finally coming into her own, making friends and deciding what she wants. The more you push her, the more she'll push you away." When Jasper stared at her with his mouth agape and a dawning on his face, Esme pushed a little further. "Don't rush it, sweetheart. Enjoy what you do have, and let the rest come when it does. You've got your whole lives ahead of you, honey, and there are so many joys to savor. Let yourself be a kid as long as you can. Let the adult things come when you _are_ an adult."

Jasper looked at her with near-worship on his face. "Thank you... thank you, Ms. Esme." He told her, his voice belaying his underlying emotions. "I get it... I do... all this time I've been seeing my counselor, and I just didn't understand." He leaned over and gave her a tight hug. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me."

She leaned back to look into his face, pushing his hair back again and drying the few tears still there. "Any time, Jas. You know I'm here for you... always. I just want you all to be happy, sweetie. That's all any mom wants."

He leaned in for another crushing hug before pulling back with a huge smile on his face. "I love you, Ms. Esme. You're a great mom."

Now it was Esme's turn to wipe the moisture from her eyes. "Oh, Jas. I love you, too, honey."

The morning went by swiftly as Jasper took care of his duties at the shelter. He loved helping out, especially since he knew he actually made a difference. He moved heavy boxes, fixed things that had been broken, mowed the lawn... whatever needed to be done to help out the ladies he'd come to love.

"Jasper!" A soft voice called out as Jasper put the last of the heavy boxes of printer paper away on the shelf. He turned to see Beth approaching him. He winced when he saw the fading bruises that still marred her pretty, heart-shaped face. She'd only been at the shelter for a couple weeks, and Jasper felt ashamed every time he saw her.

"Hi, Beth." He greeted her. "How're you doing today?"

Beth looked down at her feet and he saw her cheeks take on a pink tinge. "Well, I wondered... I mean, I need... " She took a deep breath and looked up at him with her big, soft brown eyes. "Would you help me, Jasper? I'd like to rearrange my room." She looked down again. "I mean... if you wouldn't mind... if it's not too much trouble."

He felt a pang in his chest at her meekness and reassured her that it was no trouble.

"It's no trouble at all, Beth. I'm done with all the chores that Ms. Esme and Mrs. Gimble gave me." He gave her a goofy grin. "Lead the way, I'm all yours."

Beth giggled at his silliness and happily led him down the hall. She led him into the room she was staying in and Jasper noticed how bare it was. None of the women at the shelter had much in the way of clothes or belongings.

"What can I move for you?" Jasper asked, his eyes roaming around the room.

"Well, I was wondering if you could move the chest of drawers over here by the window and the bed against this wall? Even with the shades on the window, the morning sun awakens me every day, and I've barely gotten any sleep as it is." Realizing she'd said too much, Beth lowered her eyes again and Jasper saw her whole body stiffen.

"Sure, Beth. That should be no problem." Jasper said with a smile as he walked over to the dresser and slid it across the floor. He then pushed the bed over with some effort before straightening and looking at Beth. "How's that?"

Beth gave him a big smile. "That's perfect. Thank you, Jasper."

"Any time." Jasper told her. "Just let me know if you need something and I'll be happy to do it."

"Okay." She grinned at him. "Thank you. I'll take you up on that." She turned toward the open closet and reached up to get something off the shelf. Jasper let out a loud gasp as her shirt rose above her waist and he saw the large, dark bruises covering her pale skin.

Beth spun around and jerked her top down, her face turning beet red and her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Beth." Jasper sputtered, a look of horror on his face. "I... I... did someone... do that... to you?" Then he shook his head. "Of course, someone did it to you, or you wouldn't be here. Sorry."

Beth gave him a shy smile. "It's okay. I'm just... embarrassed... that's all."

"You shouldn't be." Jasper said, his voice tight with anger. "Whoever did that to you is the one who should be embarrassed. Maybe someone should do that to him so he knows how it feels."

Beth sighed, but the slight smile stayed on her face. "You're so sweet, Jasper. I bet you wouldn't hurt anyone... ever. Would you?"

Then it was Jasper's turn to lower his eyes. "Well... I... I... wouldn't want to... I mean... I..." His face turned red and he shuffled his feet in embarrassment.

Understanding dawning on her face, Beth looked at him with wide eyes. "You... hurt someone?"

He looked up at her, pain evident all over his face. "I didn't mean to... well, I... yeah, I hurt someone. That's how I started coming here. It was part of my punishment." Beth nodded in understanding. "My parents and Ms. Esme thought it would be a good idea for me to see how women were abused so I would realize what I'd done." He shook his head in remorse. "I'll never raise my hand to another person ever again." He vowed, determination replacing shame on his face. "Never."

"Good for you, Jasper." Beth congratulated him with a warm smile. "Hurting someone to prove that you're bigger, or stronger, doesn't do anything but make that person fear and hate you."

"Is that what happened with you?" Jasper asked, but then winced at his insensitivity. "Sorry, it's none of my business."

"No. It's okay." Beth assured him. "If someone can learn from my experience, then it's worth going through."

Jasper shook his head vehemently. "No one should have to go through what you went through, Beth. That's just... wrong."

"Well, I agree with you, Jasper. My boyfriend thought it was okay, though. When I finally had enough, I packed my stuff and was prepared to move out. He came home and saw that I was serious, and he flipped out. He started trying to talk me into staying at first, you know, sweet-talking me and promising to be everything I wanted. Then he got angry when I wouldn't buy into that, and started roughing me up and threatening me. When I still wouldn't cooperate, he... he... " Beth visibly swallowed and lowered her eyes to the floor again. "Well, he dragged me into the bedroom and... and... r-raped m-me..." Beth's voice quavered as she continued to tell Jasper her story. "He was very rough and h-hurt me on purpose. He laughed at my cries of pain... they seemed to... spur him on. When I tried to be quiet, he got angrier and made a point to hurt me more." She raised shimmering eyes to Jasper's face. "I thought he was going to... k-kill me, Jasper." Beth's voice broke and tears slid down her cheeks. "I wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone."

Jasper's eyes were moist as he watched Beth try and compose herself. When she finally seemed in control again, Jasper put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Beth. I hope that things turn out really great for you."

Beth gave Jasper a watery smile. "Thank you, Jasper. You really are a nice boy. Please remember what I told you and be the good man I know you are."

Jasper nodded. "Oh, I intend to. Even thinking about what I've done, turns my stomach, let alone the shame I feel. The person I hurt is someone I love very much and I never thought I could ever hurt her."

Beth nodded. "Always remember what you're feeling right now, Jasper. When you're feeling angry and tempted to lash out, remember this feeling and release your anger another way. Hurting another person is never a good thing."

Jasper promised to remember all she'd taught him before bidding his new friend farewell and going to find Esme. The entire way home, Jasper thought about what Beth had told him. He couldn't believe her boyfriend could be so cruel. He tried to think back to how he'd felt when he'd hurt Ali and he didn't remember setting out to hurt her deliberately, but he knew that was still no excuse.

~xo-0-ox~

Esme kept glancing at Jasper as she drove them home from the shelter. She asked him if he wanted something to eat, but he declined, thanking her, but saying that he didn't feel like eating just yet. She tried to draw him into conversation, but he answered her distractedly, so she finally gave up and let him get lost in his thoughts. She wondered what was consuming him so and hoped that, whatever it was, was something he could deal with.

Pulling into the driveway, Esme smiled at Alice and her friend, Kristy, who were standing there. She saw Jasper look curiously at the two girls and was relieved that something had caught his attention besides his thoughts.

Jasper hopped out of the car with a grin and walked quickly toward the two girls. Esme was glad for Jasper's change in mood as she waved and pulled into the garage.

"Hey, Kristy!" Jasper called as he approached them, smiling widely. "How're you?"

"I'm good, Jasper. How're you?" Kristy asked him enthusiastically. Though she loved her boyfriend, Ian, she'd had a soft spot for Jasper since they'd been in first grade together.

Jasper grinned, his eyes avoiding Ali's. "I've been pretty good. Could be better, could be worse."

Kristy rolled her eyes and Jasper chuckled. "That is such a boy thing to say, Jas."

Beside her, Ali burst out laughing and Jasper finally looked at her. His face lost its smile as he remembered their fight earlier. Then he noticed that both girls were dressed for working out.

"So, whatcha' doin'?" He asked, noticing the boombox and pom pons on the ground for the first time. He raised questioning eyes to Alice, his face scrunching up in displeasure. Before Alice or Kristy could answer, Jasper started shaking his head slowly. "No... No, Alice. Just... no."

Kristy turned worried eyes toward Alice, but she was too busy glaring at Jasper to notice. "Go away, Jasper." She told him, as they stared at each other. "You don't live here, remember?"

Jasper's lips drew tight, but he didn't budge. He just continued to stare at Alice and shake his head.

Alice bent down to pick up the pom pons, throwing words over her shoulder at Kristy. "Come on, Kristy. Let's go inside so we can have some privacy."

In the blink of an eye, Jasper's hand clamped over Alice's wrist and he pulled her towards him. Alice gasped, but she tried to yank her arm away, her eyes burning into his.

"Ali, tell me you're not planning to join the pom pon squad." Jasper demanded, drawing Alice up on her tiptoes. "We talked about that and you promised me you wouldn't."

"No I didn't, Jasper." Alice stated, still trying to pull away. "I never told you I wouldn't be on the pom pon squad. Besides, the way I see it, you don't have anything to do with it."

Jasper's face turned red and his fingers tightened on Alice's delicate wrist. Alice grimaced as pain shot up her arm and her eyes widened in fear at Jasper's growl.

"Jas... " She started, but he cut her off.

"I don't want you flaunting yourself in front of all the guys at school, Alice." Jasper rasped, his face twisted in anger. "You're _not_ going to be on that squad."

"J-Jasper... you're... h-hurting m-me." Alice managed, tears pricking her eyes. As her words penetrated the haze clouding Jasper's brain, he finally noticed the pain in Ali's eyes and he dropped her wrist instantly. She massaged her wrist as she backed away from him and his eyes shot to Kristy. She was staring at him in horror, her mouth hanging open, and shame washed over him.

Looking back at Alice, he hung his head. "I'm sorry, Ali. I didn't mean to hurt you." He shook his head, the realization that he was no better than the men that had hurt the women at the shelter, suddenly clear in his mind. "I'm sorry, Ali. I won't bother you any more." He backed away in the direction of his house. "I'm really sorry." He looked at the two girls, one still staring at him in disbelief, the other with accusation in her dark, blue eyes, and he turned and ran home.

"Oh my God!" Kristy exclaimed once Jasper was gone. She looked at Alice with shock all over her face. "What was that?"

Alice shrugged, still rubbing her wrist. "Jasper thinks he owns me." She told Kristy, resentment in both her voice and on her features. "That's why I broke up with him. Everyone thinks it's because of him kissing Seth's sister, but it's really because he can't control himself."

Kristy shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around what she'd just seen. "I can't believe that." She told Alice, her shock not worn off. "I've never seen Jasper be mean to anyone... not... anyone... ever. He's always been so sweet and nice to everyone." Her eyes round, she looked Alice up and down. "Has he... hurt you before?"

Now it was Alice's turn to be ashamed. Even though she knew it wasn't her fault, something in her felt embarrassed to admit that Jasper had hurt her in the past.

"Well... a couple times... but not in a... while." Alice said, her voice shaking slightly. She looked up at Kristy. Her expression was hard now and she had her hands on her hips. "It's okay, Kristy. We're... working it out."

"What the hell do you mean... 'we're working it out'? It's not okay, Ali. You need to tell someone... your parents... or... Emmett... someone." Kristy insisted, her eyes shooting fire.

Alice sighed. Kristy was a good friend, but she hadn't wanted anyone to know about Jasper's loss of control.

"My parents... know... and so do his." Alice whispered, her eyes on the ground. "We're both going to counselors and Jas is working at the women's shelter a couple days a week."

"Well, he sure hasn't learned much, then." Kristy raged, her eyes still flashing, hands on her hips. "Who does he think he is? Your... master... for crying out loud?"

Alice chuckled, she couldn't help it, Kristy was so cute being all mad on her behalf.

"Thank you, Kristy." Alice smiled. She watched as Kristy's face finally relaxed. "I promise you, no one is tolerating Jasper's attitude toward me. He's been doing great, but he's obviously not perfect, yet." Alice sighed and picked up a water bottle near her feet.

"I don't know what to say, Ali." Kristy said in a soft voice. "I thought you guys were the perfect couple. I mean... I've never seen anyone more devoted than Jas. I didn't have a clue that he was like that."

Alice nodded. "I know. It's okay... no one did. He's got a jealous streak and he's very possessive, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to change who I am because he can't deal with it."

"Don't you love him any more?" Kristy wondered, searching her friend's face as she took a drink.

"Yeah, I do, but I'm not letting him, or anyone, push me around or hurt me." Alice vowed, licking her lips. "I deserve better. If he can't change, then I guess I'll have to find someone else."

Kristy gasped. "You'd go out with someone else?"

Alice laughed. "I don't mean now. In the future... you know... if Jas can't... fix himself."

Kristy nodded. "Yeah... it's not like you don't have plenty of time, huh?"

Alice nodded as she bent to set her water bottle down and pick up the pom pons once more. "You got that right." She chirped, a big smile on her face. "Now... you ready to teach me the finer points of being a pom pon girl?"

Kristy grinned and picked up the other set of pom pons. "I sure am."

~xo-0-ox~

Jasper groaned into his hands as he sat on his bed. He felt sick to his stomach over what he'd done to Ali. The look on Kristy's face was enough to make him feel sick, but remembering the bruise forming on Ali's wrist and the cold look in her eyes, finally sent him running for the bathroom.

"You alright, Jas?" Rosalie asked from the bathroom doorway as Jasper straightened over the toilet. He rinsed his mouth out in the sink as he nodded his head. Drying his face, he looked over at Rosalie and grimaced at the concern on her face.

"Don't feel bad for me, Rose." Jasper insisted, his voice harsh. "I'm not worth your distress."

Rosalie's eyebrows rose and her eyes rounded at her brother's words. "What did you do, Jas?"

"I... I hurt Ali, again." Jasper blurted out, tears filling his eyes. "I didn't m-mean to... it j-just... h-happened. One minute I'm standing there a-and... the next... the n-next... I'm... pulling her wrist and... yelling at her."

Rosalie stood erect in the doorway as she surveyed her brother. She was mad that he hurt Alice, but he looked so sad. He was her little brother, after all, and someone had to help him.

Rose held out her arms and enfolded Jasper in her embrace. Although he was much taller than her now, he put his head on her shoulder and sobbed. She patted his back and murmured words of encouragement and sympathy, until, finally, he looked up and wiped his hands over his face.

"I love her, Rose. I do." He told her, a tortured look on his face. "I don't want to hurt her. I want to be sweet to her... I want to hold her and... smile with her... and... and... "

"And turn her back into little, sweet Ali, who worships the ground you walk on, but she won't cooperate?" Rosalie asked him, intently watching his face.

His expression turned sheepish as he admitted the truth. "Yeah... something like that."

Rosalie chuckled and shook her head. "She's growing up, Jas. She's not always going to act the way you want or expect. You've got to let this go. If you don't appreciate her the way she is, you'll never be happy together." Rosalie put her hand on his arm. "Listen to me, Baby Brother, I know what I'm talking about."

Jasper nodded. "I know you're right, Rose, it's just so hard. I get so angry when she won't do what I want. I see all these guys noticing her and I wanna' beat their heads in." He gave Rosalie a confused look. "I've never been a fighter, you know that. Now, I have the urge to fight just about every day."

"It's okay, Jas. It's hard enough being a teenager without the added stress of loving someone." Rosalie patted his arm. "You just have to get control of yourself and not take out your anger on Ali." She smirked at him as she added her last bit of advise. "Take it out on Em. He loves fighting with you. He says it's an easy win 'cuz you fight like a girl."

At Jasper's scowl, Rosalie burst out laughing and turned to walk away.

"Thanks a lot, Rosalie." Jasper called after her. She waved at him, still laughing as she continued to her room. Walking through her door, her smile widened when she heard Jasper's soft chuckle float down the hall. She knew they both had a lot to learn, but she also knew they would both be all right.

~xo-0-ox~

"That was a terrific game!" Emmett called as Jasper and Edward walked out of the locker room. He slapped them both on the back, much to their annoyance, and beamed with pride. "My little brothers, the football stars of William's Bay. Who'd a thunk it?"

He grinned goofily at them and they rolled their eyes at each other before bursting into grins themselves.

The three of them reached the parking lot to see their parents and the girls waiting for them. There were hugs and congratulations all around before the announcement was made that they were all going out for pizza. Piling into the cars, Jasper snuck a peak over at Alice who had quietly congratulated him on the game and then crawled into the Cullens' car. She had her eyes down and didn't seem to be too happy about having to go out for dinner.

With a sigh, Jasper got in the back seat of his parents' car. He'd have to try to talk to Alice about how he'd acted earlier. Apparently she hadn't told anyone about his indiscretion and he didn't want her to think she had to hide what he'd done. He needed to apologize and assure her that he was trying really hard not to act out in anger.

They reached the restaurant in a festive mood and walked in amidst a lot of laughing and talking. While they waited for a table, Jasper tried to maneuver his way next to Alice but she stated that she needed to use the ladies' room and avoided him. Irritation made him clench his jaw but then he reminded himself that things wouldn't always go his way and he made himself relax. He'd just bide his time and approach her when he was able.

Everyone took a seat when the hostess showed them to their table and Jasper took the opportunity to leave the chair next to him empty. He watched nonchalantly as Alice came to the table and noticed where she was supposed to sit. Her displeasure showed on her face, but she squared her shoulders and took her seat.

Jasper sighed softly as Alice sat stiffly beside him. He wished he knew what to say to fix things between them but he really had no idea what to do. Finally, he decided to just say what was on his mind and hope she would believe him.

"Ali?" He said softly, noticing how she jerked slightly at the sound of his voice. "Ali? I... I just wanted to... apologize again... for... today."

Alice kept her face turned forward, her body stiff as she turned up the corners of her mouth. "Thank you, Jasper." She said, coldly. "I appreciate that."

She fiddled with her napkin and tried to ignore him but he persisted. "I... I want you to know that... I... well, I... still love you... but I w-want you... to be happy, so I won't... bug you any more. I plan to just... be there for you... like I used to be. I won't boss you around, or grab you, or yell at you any more, okay?"

He waited for a second for her to respond. When she just sat there, he tried again. "I really am sorry, Ali. I love you so much. I just can't... I just can't stand the thought of you... with someone else. It tears me apart... but I know you have to live your own life and... I'll... I'll just... try... really hard... not to interfere."

At his words, Alice finally turned her head and looked at him. He watched as her midnight blue eyes searched his face and, convinced of his sincerity, brightened slightly.

"Thank you for finally understanding, Jas." She smiled softly. "I just need to do what _I_ want to do, not be told all the time what I _should_ do. I've been bossed around by all of you my whole life. There're so many things I want to do that you won't like, but it doesn't mean we can't still be friends."

Jasper frowned. "Friends?" He choked out, disappointment settling in his chest like a lead weight.

"Well, sure." Alice confirmed, looking at him with confusion. "Isn't that what you want, too?"

"I... I guess... " Jasper said, not wanting that at all. "Friends is better than what we've been lately."

Alice giggled. "That's true."

"Okay, Ali, friends it is, but I do wanna' ask you for one more thing." Alice smiled at him, happy that they were talking rationally for a change.

"Okay, shoot." She chirped, expectation on her face.

"Would you please... pretty, pretty please... not go out for the pom pon squad?" Jasper watched as her face went blank and then her eyes began to glitter. He knew right then that he'd lost her and he'd been doing such a good job, too.

Jasper held up his hand. "Never mind. I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry, Ali. You do what you want. I'll stay out of it." He prayed that she'd forget what he'd asked and let it go. No such luck.

"What is the big deal, Jasper?" Alice demanded, her eyes shooting fire. "What do you care if I go out for the squad?"

Jasper looked around the table to see if anyone had noticed their conversation. Everyone else was involved in their own discussions, so he turned back to Alice.

"I've seen those girls perform, remember?" He gritted out, trying to keep his temper under control. "I know what all the guys are thinking about while they're watching them." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, averting his eyes. "I just... don't want them thinking that way... about you."

"How are you going to stop them, Jasper?" Ali asked softly, seeing the vexation in his eyes. He looked back at her. "Even if I don't make the squad, there will still be guys that look at me, Jas. Because I'm a girl, guys will look, even if I'm not pretty like Rose, that's just how guys are."

Jasper's face softened, his mouth curving up. "Ali, you're just as pretty as Rose... prettier. You just don't see it and, believe me, guys look." He chuckled and shook his head. "Seeing you bounce around the gym floor in that tiny skirt is going to be the death of me, I promise you."

It was Alice's turn to laugh. "You're such a Drama Queen, Jas. You won't see me anyway. You'll be in the locker room at half time."

Jasper looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I suppose... " He focused back on Alice. "Please be patient, Ali? I'm trying, I really am. Please don't... find someone else, okay?"

"Jas..." Ali said with exasperation. "I love you. I have no intention of finding anyone else. I just want to have fun with my friends and enjoy myself." Alice raised her hand to lay it against Jasper's cheek, wincing at the twinge of pain from her twisted wrist. Jasper took it gently and kissed it, shame and sorrow in his eyes.

"I am so sorry, Ali. I'll try harder, I will." His face turned pleading. "Please just don't shut me out. I can't stand not seeing you for days on end. Can we please work something out?"

Alice let her eyes roam his familiar face before letting them wander around the table, her teeth worrying her lip. As she came back to his face to see him watching her intently, she decided to give a little and see how they did.

"Okay, Jas." At his look of joy, she stopped him before he got too excited. "We'll work something out, but I'm not going with you and you have no say over what I do. Got that?"

Jasper nodded eagerly, kissing her wrist again, and Alice sighed, hoping she wasn't making a mistake.

**I hope it was worth waiting for... I know you all want to know when Emmett is going to tell Rose and Jasper his news, and what's going on with Ali's bio-mom. The next chapter is started and I'll try to update ASAP. I also lied about not working on anything else except, 'My Everything'. I'm writing a one-shot for the Fandom4Cancer. As a cancer survivor myself, I couldn't say no. Please consider donating to this wonderful cause. Cancer affects us all and your donation, whether large of small, can make all the difference. Many blessings! **

**_fandomfightscancer(dot)blogspot(dot)com/_ The link is also on my profile page. Thank you!**


	77. Eye of the Storm

77.

Eye of the Storm

Tada! Don't have a heart attack... it's an update! My only defense is that I've been writing for charity. Four different stories, all due within a couple weeks of each other and all for good causes. It's not as easy as I thought to write four different stories at the same time but I'm a softie, I can't help it. When someone needs help, I just can't say 'no'. I'm sneaking in this update and then I'll probably update again after Thanksgiving. Please check out my profile page to see what I'm writing and for whom. I promise, I'll try REALLY hard to resist any other writing obligations once these are done. No contests. No charities. I'll try... really hard... I will...

I'm dedicating this chapter to 'My Everything's' most loyal reader, Kiwi0. She never lets me forget that you guys are waiting for an update.

Thanks for keeping me on track and kickin' by butt when I need it, Kiwi0!

Love you all! Enjoy!

~xo-0-ox~

Jasper grinned as he watched Rosalie flit around the house. He hadn't ever seen her this happy and carefree. He was so relieved that she and Emmett had made up and were talking again. It was bad enough that he and Ali were struggling but to know that their problems had caused problems between his sister and best friend, was tough.

He felt pretty happy, himself. Ali had promised to spend some time with him today and he felt better than he had in a long time. He knew things had to change, they always did but he yearned for how things were even just a year ago. He remembered playing with Alice in the snow and her beautiful, laughing eyes looking up at him with love and trust. He had to gain that trust back, he just had to.

"Oh, Jasper!" Rosalie sang as she came back into the room, a huge grin on her face and Alice trailing behind her. "There's someone here to see you."

He smiled at Alice and she smiled half-heartedly and gave him a little wave. His heart thudded in his chest at her less-than-enthusiastic greeting but then he decided to let it go. At least she was here and all his, well, for a little while anyway.

"Hi, Ali." he greeted her. "How're you today?"

"I'm good, Jas, thank you." she replied politely. He waved her over as Rose let out a little giggle. Both Alice and Jasper looked at her in astonishment.

"You okay, Rose?" Alice asked, a pleased grin on her face. At Rosalie's happy nod, Alice laughed. "I'm so glad that you and Emmett made up, Rose, I really am. He's so happy. He's been like his old self again."

"Well, I'm pretty happy about it myself." Rosalie giggled, looking between Jasper and Alice. "Now, if you two could just work things out, everything would be perfect."

Jasper's grin turned into a scowl. _Damn Rose for bringing that up. All he wanted right now was to spend some time with Ali and get her to trust him again. _He snuck a look at Alice to see that her smile had disappeared, as well. She was looking uncomfortably at the floor her cheeks bright red. He cleared his throat.

"Rose, Ali and I are just spending some time together. We're not... well... working things out the way you mean. It's not that simple for us." he looked over at Alice again to see her reaction. He felt the tension drain out of him as he caught the relieved look she sent his way.

"Well, all I know is that you two are meant for each other and you better figure it out soon before it's too late." Rosalie put her hand on her hip and gave them a knowing look. "A lot of things can happen."

Jasper sighed and Alice bit her lip, her big, blue eyes shining with worry. Then he brightened, here was a chance to show her that they were on the same side.

"Rose, I'm fifteen and Ali is only thirteen. I don't think we have to worry about it being too late for anything." he gave her a glare hoping she's shut up. "We've got plenty of time to figure things out and we're in no rush. Thanks for your concern, though."

He glanced at Alice to see her smiling gratefully at him and his heart swelled in his chest. He could do this, he knew it. His head was in the right place, finally, and he could be there for her in the way she needed. He looked back at Rose. She was frowning slightly but looked thoughtful.

"Really, Rose." Jasper continued and her eyes met his. "Thank you for worrying about us. We'll be fine, I promise."

Rose gave him a brilliant smile and nodded, finally understanding the message her baby brother was sending her.

"Okay, Jas. I just worry. That's what big sisters are for, right?" at his nod, she walked over, pinched his cheek, much to his annoyance and grinned at Ali as she walked back out of the room.

Jasper met Alice's eyes and they both burst into laughter. "Who was that and what have they done with my sister?" Jasper asked Alice as they both continued to laugh. Wiping his eyes, Jasper watched Ali as she calmed down. She looked over at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Maybe we should cause trouble between Em and Rose more often if that's what Rose is like once they make up." Jasper laughed again and nodded.

"I know! I've never seen her like that, all giggly and silly. Other girls, yeah, but Rose? No way." they stood grinning at each other and then Jasper cleared his throat.

"What do you feel like doing, Ali?" he asked.

"I don't know." Ali answered, looking thoughtful. "I'd be happy just spending time together. How about you?"

Jasper thought for a minute. He'd come up with a million things to do with Alice but none of them seemed right. He wanted her to feel comfortable and like she had before he'd messed everything up, but he didn't want her to think of him as just her friend, either.

"We could walk into town and go bowling." he suggested. When Alice's eyes lit up, he knew he'd hit on the right thing. It would be something fun but, with just the two of them, it would also be kind of like a date.

"That would be so fun, Jas." Ali enthused, her smile bright. "I haven't been bowling in forever."

"Okay. Let's go, then." Jasper offered her his arm and she took it with a grin, but rolled her eyes at him.

Jasper swore he felt as giddy as Rosalie right now. Things were looking up, finally and he would make it this time, he knew he would.

The young couple walked out the front door and ran smack into a grim-looking Emmett. Jasper frowned at him in question but Alice looked worried.

"Em, are you all right?" she asked with concern. "You look upset."

Emmett smiled. "No, I'm okay. I just have to talk to Rose."

Jasper grinned at him. "Well, you're in luck. She's in an amazingly good mood." Jasper laughed. "In fact, I think she was abducted by aliens and they left a fake Rose in her place."

Alice and Jasper both laughed and Emmett chuckled at their silliness, happy to see them looking comfortable together for a change.

"So, where are you two off to?" he asked, realizing that they were leaving.

"We're going into town to go bowling." Jasper said looking affectionately at Alice. Alice grinned up at Emmett and he felt relief that she was happy.

"Great. Sounds like fun." he said spotting Rosalie smiling at him from inside the house. "Hey, Rose!"

She came out the door. "Hi, Em." she actually blushed, smiling shyly and Jasper and Alice exchanged shocked looks. "Whatcha' doin'?"

The two younger people stood there with their mouths hanging open as their older siblings talked.

"Not much. I just came over to talk to you. To see if you were all right." Emmett answered, oblivious to Jasper and Alice's reaction. He watched Rose intently but she just smiled happily at him and he smiled back in relief. She didn't regret what they had done, in fact, she seemed different somehow. More relaxed, happier, even giddy. Nothing like the Rose he was used to. "These two are going into town to bowl. Wanna' come with me to give them a ride?"

Rose nodded and looked at her brother and Ali.

"Thanks, Em. We were going to walk but, if you don't mind giving us a ride, that would be great." Jasper looked at Alice. "Would that be okay with you, Ali?"

"It's okay with me. I'd rather save my energy to whip you in bowling anyway." he grinned at her and turned back to Emmett.

"Okay, Em. Thanks!"

The four of them walked back over to the Cullen house to get Emmett's Jeep and Rosalie grabbed Emmett's hand and was practically skipping by his side. Jasper raised his eyebrows at Emmett but Emmett just shrugged. He looked over at Alice to see her grinning happily at her brother and Rose. He didn't know what was going on with Rose but he was just glad that she was so happy.

The drive into town was pleasant as the four teenagers enjoyed the beautiful fall day. The sun was bright and the breeze was surprisingly warm for mid-October. Emmett pulled up outside the bowling alley and Jasper had an idea. He looked over at Alice to see her reaction.

"Ali, would you mind if Rose and Emmett bowled with us?" he was relieved to see her smile her consent.

"That would be great." she told him, her eyes going to the front seat. "Stay and bowl with us, you guys. We'll have so much fun."

She saw Emmett look inquiringly at Rose, who nodded enthusiastically and Emmett moved the Jeep to a parking space. Alice danced alongside Jasper as they went into the bowling alley. She hadn't been bowling in quite a while and was really looking forward to it. Now Emmett and Rosalie were going to join them and she knew they'd have a great time.

The boys paid for their game and the girls went to pick out balls. They set their bowling balls on the ball return and then changed into the shoes the boys brought them. The two girls chatting happily while they waited for the boys.

"I'm so glad that you and Jasper have called a truce, Ali." Rose told her, watching her face intently. "I was so worried about the two of you. Jas has been so unhappy and you've seemed so angry. That's just not like you, Ali."

"I know." Alice agreed sadly. "He just makes me so mad sometimes. He's always pushing me around and trying to tell me what to do. I don't like it, Rose. He's not the Jasper I've known, either."

Rose nodded, looking thoughtful. "I know that you're both growing up, Ali, but that doesn't mean things have to change between you and Jasper. I mean, look at me and Em. We've worked things out and I'm a lot harder to get along with than you are."

Both girls laughed, looking up when the boys walked over. "What's so funny? You laughing at us?"

Rosalie laughed again. "No, Emmett. We're not laughing at you." she glanced at Ali with a big grin. "Why do they always think everything is about them?" she asked her, which caused both girls to start giggling again. Jasper rolled his eyes and Emmett let out a bark of laughter. He could get used to this new, silly Rosalie.

He rubbed his hands together, an expression of mock glee on his face. "Well, let's get this game going. I'm looking forward to whipping you girls. Right, Jas?"

Jasper chuckled. "Absolutely." he agreed, chuckling again at the look on Rose's face.

"Ha! You beat us?" Rose shook her head, her hands on her hips. "Not gonna' happen."

"We'll see... we'll see." Emmett murmured as he sat down on the bench next to her. She elbowed him, grinning foolishly and he put his arm around her. Giving her a quick squeeze, he called to Alice.

"You're up first, Short Stack. Show us what ya' got."

Grinning at their silliness, Alice marched up to get her ball and positioned herself to start. On an impulse, she turned back to look behind her and saw Jasper looking at her butt. She gave him a cheeky grin and he blushed, his mouth curving into a sheepish smile at being caught. Shaking her head, she went back to the game, feeling strangely satisfied at his reaction.

"So, one more strike and we win the game." Alice offered as she looked at Rose. Sensing the boys irritation at her words, she burst out laughing. She'd been having the best time. Rose was in the craziest mood and it had put everyone else in a similarly goofy state. They'd joked and kidded each other and their game had turned into a fun competition.

Rose got up to get her ball and exaggeratedly swayed her backside as she walked up to make her throw. She grinned when she heard Emmett laugh and knew she'd never felt this happy in her life. Their first time had been everything she'd hoped and she'd felt just plain cheerful ever since.

She made her play and shouted out in excitement when she threw a strike. She heard the boys groan behind her and Alice jump up and clap with glee. She spun around in triumph, a huge smile on her face and went straight to Emmett.

"I think the winners deserve a victory kiss." she looked over at Ali, a sly expression on her face. "Don't you, Ali?"

Alice looked a little worried, she knew what Rose was up to and she wasn't very comfortable. Her eyes went to Jasper and he looked at her with sympathy. Her mind made up, she nodded at Rose.

"I'm thinking you're right, Rose. A victory kiss is just what we require." she leaned over to Jasper and kissed him gently on the lips. His lips curved beneath hers before he kissed her back. She leaned away form him when she was done and he grinned at her, hope shining from his eyes.

"_Maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to do," _Ali thought, but she'd wanted to and it made Jasper happy. He looked at her with such love in his eyes and she felt bad that she'd been giving him such a hard time. Her heart swelled with her love for him and she smiled shyly back.

Off to the side, Rosalie gave Emmett a quick kiss and then watched gleefully as Alice kissed her little brother. She almost giggled again but she didn't want to break the mood. She looked over at Emmett to see him watching her with a knowing expression. She grinned at him and he got to his feet.

"Well, I'm hungry. Are any of you hungry?"

Rosalie scowled at him as Alice and Jasper pulled apart but he grinned at her and her heart melted. She just couldn't stay mad at him, she was too happy.

They all nodded and began rounding up their bowling equipment.

"Where should we eat?" Emmett asked as they walked out of the building. Deciding on the little cafe down the street, Emmett grabbed his girl's hand and they started off in that direction.

The wind had picked up and Alice shivered as the cold penetrated her sweater. _Thank goodness Emmett had given them a ride or she would've frozen to death._ Another shiver went through her and Alice felt like the cafe was getting further away instead of closer.

"Ali, you cold, darlin'?" Jasper asked looking over at her. He hadn't taken her hand or put his arm around her like he usually would have, giving her the space she'd asked for but he was still really attuned to her.

"A little." she answered, pulling her hands inside her sleeves. He removed his jacket and put it over her shoulders.

"Here, this should help a little." he told her. She looked up gratefully and smiled.

"Thanks, Jas." she felt guilty, though. Now he'd be cold as he only had on a long-sleeved shirt. "but won't you be cold now?" he shook his head.

"Nope, I'm still warm from bowling." Alice knew he was lying but she accepted his gentlemanly manners with secret pleasure. He was on his best behavior and she was thrilled. She was tired of fighting and feeling stressed all the time.

The four young people were seated at a table in the cafe, having ordered already, they just enjoyed each other's company while they waited for their food. Alice felt completely relaxed and was looking forward to the sandwich she ordered. She sat next to Jasper and watched the interaction between Emmett and Rosalie with extreme curiosity. She wasn't sure what was going on with those two but she was so relieved that they'd finally worked things out.

"So, Rose?" Alice began, happiness putting a sparkle in her eyes. "You seem pretty happy today. I'm glad you guys worked things out between you." she took a sip of her Iced Tea and watched Rosalie's happy face.

Rosalie grinned. "I am, too, Ali." she looked at Emmett, her eyes glowing. "I've never been happier."

"I'm so glad." Alice said, genuine pleasure evident in her whole being. "I was so worried that you'd never speak to him again once he told you about him going away."

The air seemed to suck out of the room at her words. Rose's head swiveled around to stare at Emmett and Alice felt Jasper stiffen next to her.

"_Oh no! Why am I so stupid?"_ Alice thought, her eyes wide with fear.

"What does she mean you're going away?" Rose asked, her eyes glittering. She was trying to hold in her temper, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Emmett looked worried as he watched the changes in her face. "Now, Rose. It's not a big deal. Let's talk about it once we're back in the car. Okay? I know everyone's really hungry."

"No, we won't wait until we're back in the car." Rose stated trying to control her voice. "What is Ali talking about, Emmett? I want to know now."

Emmett sighed and glanced over at Alice. She seemed to shrink in her seat, her eyes scared, her expression regretful. "I'm planning to graduate now and go on to college after Christmas instead of waiting until next fall. That way I can play ball this spring and not have to wait a whole year."

"Oh?" Rose said with gritted teeth. "And just when were you going to tell me this?"

"Well," Emmett muttered, his hand at the back of his neck. "I thought about telling you tonight once we'd gotten back home." he looked up at Ali and she wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at the table, fighting tears. "But I guess now is as good a time as any."

Emmett's eyes slid in Jasper's direction to see his friend looking at him in shock. He felt guilty for not telling them sooner but he knew there'd be no peace once Rose found out. Things had been in such turmoil already and he hadn't wanted to put the families through any more.

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Jas." Emmett tried to make amends. "Things have just been so... messed up."

Jasper nodded, his face still in shock. He'd never thought very far into the future where Emmett was concerned. He'd foolishly thought that he'd always be there and now wondered if he'd let himself feel that way on purpose so he wouldn't have to face life so many changes.

After what seemed like forever but was mere minutes, Rosalie got up from the table and walked out of the restaurant. Emmett sighed and got up, as well. "Here, Jas. Would you and Ali get the sandwiches packed up while I talk to Rose?" he handed Jasper some money and followed Rose before Jasper could answer.

Jasper and Alice just sat there not saying anything until the waitress came back. Jasper calmly asked for their food to be wrapped and got up to pay the bill. Alice walked quietly behind him, chewing her lip in worry. _So much for everyone's happy mood. It seemed she'd spoiled everything once again._

~xo-0-ox~

The ride home was filled with angry silence, broken only by the occasional sniffle coming from the tiny girl in the backseat. Jasper sat in the seat beside her but wasn't paying any attention to her for a change. His mind was awhirl with thoughts of life without Emmett. Things were changing too fast, too soon. He didn't want to grow up. He wanted things to stay the way they were. Everyone friends, the two families there for each other, no matter what, always.

He heard a sigh from the front seat and met Emmett's eyes in the rearview mirror. He felt like he was in a daze and seeing the world as though in a movie. He saw Emmett and the regretful expression on his face, he even registered it but he couldn't comprehend exactly what had caused it. It was like a part of him was shut down and he couldn't tell if he was awake or dreaming.

"You okay, Jas?" Emmett asked softly, still watching him in the mirror. He frowned when Jasper didn't respond right away and just kept staring at him. "Jas?"

Jasper gave a little jerk and his eyes widened slightly. Awareness came back into his face and he connected with his friend's eyes with a small nod.

"Yeah. I think so." Jas murmured as he watched the pain take over Emmett's face. He looked over at Alice in the seat beside his own. She had her forehead on her raised knees and was softly sobbing. He wanted to comfort her but his body just wouldn't obey his mind. He glanced into the front to see his sister staring out her window. Her body was stiff and her hands were clenched in her lap. He'd never seen Rosalie like this before. Usually, if she was angry with anyone, Emmett especially, she voiced her anger and let everyone know how she was feeling. Jasper shook his head slightly, trying to clear it and make sense of what was happening. His world had tilted on its axis and he didn't know if it would ever be right again.

Finally, Emmett pulled into the driveway. Rosalie silently undid her seatbelt and got out of the Jeep. She began marching across the grass to her house but Emmett went after her and stopped her. They were arguing in tense voices but Jasper couldn't hear what they were saying. He looked over at Alice again to see that she had turned her head away from him but was still making little sniffling noises. He ran his hand through his hair and wondered what he should do. He felt like a little kid who'd been left in the car by his mom and wasn't able to get out on his own. Suddenly, he heard a loud noise and looked up in shock. Emmett had Rosalie over his shoulder and was coming back over to the car.

"Jas, would you bring Ali and the sandwiches into the house?" Jasper nodded, still feeling dazed and got out of the Jeep. He went around to Alice's side and she looked up at him with wet, swollen eyes.

"Em wants us to go into the house." he told her as he picked up the bag with the food in it. Alice nodded and Jasper watched as she stumbled out of the car. He knew he should help her but the fog in his brain wouldn't make his body cooperate. He moved as though on automatic pilot as he shut the door and followed Alice up the walk.

Raised voices met them as they walked in the front door. Alice looked yearningly up the stairs but moved toward the kitchen instead. Jasper followed her as though in a dream and didn't pay attention to the words being hurled in the other room. He heard Alice gasp and saw her look at him in surprise but he had no idea what it was for. He shook himself but it didn't seem to help. He moved into the kitchen on wooden legs and felt Alice come in behind him.

"God damn it, Rose. You know that's not true." Emmett said in an exasperated tone. "You know me better than that."

"Do I?" Rose hollered, her hands on her hips. "You've been trying to get in my pants for years, Emmett Cullen! You knew you were leaving before I got in your bed but you never said one word!"

It was Jasper's turn to gasp. He finally heard what had surprised Alice. _Emmett and Rose had slept together?_

Jasper didn't know what he should think about that. The fog permeated his brain and he just stood there, his face a slack mask of shock, his body slouched as though the weight of the world was on it. He started as he felt a touch on his hand. Looking down, he saw Alice looking at him with worry in her huge, teary eyes and felt her slip her small hand into his. He squeezed her hand and tried to smile but his lips felt frozen.

Jasper and Alice's heads jerked up at the same time when they heard their names.

"Ali. Jas. Eat your sandwiches. We'll be right back." They watched as Emmett led Rosalie out the back door but they stood frozen as the door was slammed shut and they could see their older siblings still yelling at each other outside.

"Jas?" Ali's soft voice drifted into his foggy brain. His eyes moved down on their own accord. She was staring up at him like she'd done a thousand times before, seeking his guidance but he had no idea what to do. He just stared down at her, his conscience mind far away, his body not his own.

"Jas? Are you all right? You're scaring me." Alice persisted in trying to get him to answer her. She tugged on his hand and patted his face with her other hand. "Come on, Jasper. Talk to me."

He heard her but he couldn't make his lips form the words she wanted to hear. He knew she was worried and she looked like a scared little girl but her hero wasn't here for her. He was somewhere else trying to work out things for himself this time.

"That's it, Jasper Hale. You answer me this instant." Alice stamped her foot and tugged on his hand again. He watched her with vacant eyes before he let them drift back to the window facing the back patio. There was a lot of hand waving and moving of mouths and he could faintly hear words being yelled but he couldn't make out the actual words. His eyes slid back down to see Alice watching him intently, biting her lip.

"Okay, I can see that you're having a hard time, so I'm going to take care of you for a change." Alice tugged him over to the table and pulled out a chair.

"Sit down, Jasper." she commanded and he settled into the chair. His eyes followed her around the kitchen on their own as she went to the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of juice. She poured two glasses and brought them over to the table. He looked down at his hand as she pulled the bag out of his tightly clenched fingers. He hadn't even remembered that it was there. He watched as Alice opened the bag and pulled out their wrapped food. She set a package down in front of him before going to get some plates out of the cupboard. Sitting down next to him, she unwrapped his sandwich and set it on his plate.

"Here, Jas. Eat this." he automatically picked up the sandwich and took a bite. As he chewed, he looked over at her again. She was watching him with anguish on her face but managed to give him a little smile.

"You'll feel better once you eat, Jas. I know you will." she told him as she pushed his juice closer to his hand. "Here's some juice, too. Drink it with your food, okay?" he nodded slightly and took a drink of the cool liquid. He felt it hit his stomach and started to feel a little better.

Half way through their sandwiches, the back door opened again and Emmett led Rosalie back inside. Both Jasper and Alice were surprised to see Rosalie was crying. Emmett had his arm around her and gave them a reassuring smile. He led Rose over to the table and had her sit down. He unwrapped their sandwiches and Alice jumped up to get out two more glasses. She set them on the table along with the pitcher of juice.

"You okay, Jas?" Emmett asked as he put half of the sandwich into Rosalie's hand. He was relieved to see her take a bite but Jasper's numb state concerned him. "Hey, Jas? Man, don't go all pussy on me."

Emmett chuckled to himself when Jasper's head came up and his eyes finally started to focus on his face. The awareness was coming back and Emmett sighed with relief. He'd known his announcement was going to be worse for Jasper than for Rose and he'd dreaded telling him more than anyone.

"You back with us now, J-man?" Jasper nodded and gave Emmett a crooked smile, his eyes attempting to focus. "Okay. Good. Now, I know this has been a shock but it's not that bad, really. I'll be home every weekend. I promise. It'll only be for a few months and then I'll be home for the summer."

He watched two of the people he loved the most as they adjusted to this new event. Rosalie let out a little sigh as she took another bite and Emmett urged her to take a drink, as well. He nodded at Alice's plate to get her to eat and was satisfied that the three of them were all right.

"You guys are gonna' be fine without me for a few days every week. Nothing will change. I'll be two hours away so I can even come home after school if you need me, okay?" at their nods he grinned. He loved that they would miss him but he knew they were overreacting. They'd be fine.

"Em, you know you won't be home as much as you say."

Finally, Jasper's voice could be heard. Emmett looked over at him with relief.

"You'll have homework and tests, and what about baseball?"

Emmett nodded again. He knew it wouldn't be as easy as he'd said.

"Well, I've thought of all of that, Jas. If I start the spring semester, I can play ball at school and, yeah, I'll have homework and practice and games and stuff, but it won't get in the way of being there for you guys. I won't let it. Besides, don't you wanna' see your bro playing baseball in the big leagues?"

Jasper snickered. "Mighty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

Emmett laughed. "You know it."

Rose looked up and Emmett smiled tenderly at her.

"Okay, Rosie?" she nodded and smiled back. Emmett brushed a length of her shiny, golden hair off of her face. "You know I love you, Rose. That's never going to change. I'm not just doing this for me, you know. I'm doing it for both of us. For our future. Don't you want a ball player for a husband? Just think of all the stuff I could buy you and all the cool places we could go."

When she made a soft snorting sound, her eyes shining up at him, Emmett knew everything was going to be all right. One last thing to take care of. His eyes swiveled to Alice and he was proud to see her beaming back at him. His little sister was growing up and he was happy to see her taking charge instead of curled up, crying. He winked at her and she grinned and winked back. _Yep. Things were going to be all right._

~xo-0-ox~

"It was wonderful, Ali." Rosalie gushed, hugging herself. "The best thing ever."

Alice watched her with wide eyes. She couldn't believe that Rose and Emmett had actually had sex. Rose was happy about it, too, even after Emmett had finally told her about going away to college this winter. Of course, Alice hasn't given him much choice, having blurted it out at the restaurant when they were waiting for their lunch. She often wondered how she could be so smart in school but so clueless in real life.

Shaking her head, Alice watched Rosalie grinning, very pleased with herself. She looked over at Alice and chuckled.

"Don't look so shocked, Ali. You knew we would do it eventually. We've waited a long, long time."

Alice nodded. "I know but I'm still surprised. I thought you'd wait until you were married, or... something."

Rosalie laughed. "Oh my God, Ali. Emmett would die if he heard you say that. Although, I think he was as shocked as you are when he found me asleep in his bed. You should've seen his face." Rose let out a very un-Rosalie giggle. "I wouldn't take no for an answer but it didn't take me long to convince him."

She grinned as she slapped Alice gently on the arm. "Oh, come on, Ali. It's not that big of a deal. We're practically engaged." She held up her hand to show Alice the promise ring Emmett had given her that summer. "Remember?" At Alice's nod, she went on. "Anyway, we're both almost out of high school and we've been together forever. It's not like we just jumped into it. Emmett even wanted to get married before we went to college next year. I guess that'll have to wait now but you know we'll get married soon."

Alice nodded again, her bottom lip between her teeth. "I know, Rose." she looked worried and Rose nudged her.

"What, Ali?" she asked, rolling her eyes where Alice couldn't see.

"Well, do you think... um... " Rosalie rolled her eyes again, this time in plain sight of Alice.

"Spit it out, Ali. If you can't talk to me, who can you talk to? Geeze."

"Okay. Okay." Alice cleared her throat, steeling herself, her cheeks bright pink. "Do you think that, since you and Emmett, you know, did it... do you think that... Jas and I... should we...?"

Rosalie shook her head, angrily. "No way, Ali. No way. You're way too young and Jasper is, too. I know he already banged that Savannah slut but there is no way you should give in to him. Not until you're one-hundred percent ready and not for a few years. He can wait. It's not like his dick's gonna' fall off."

Alice looked at her with relief plainly written all over her face and Rosalie cracked up, thinking about what she'd said.

"Hey! Where's that backbone you've been sporting lately?" she watched as Alice's face lit up and they grinned at each other. "You know damn well that you're finally learning how to lead Jasper around on a leash. Keep it up, Sweetcakes, cuz he's only gonna' do what you allow. If you keep letting him grab you and boss you around, he will." she looked thoughtful for a moment before she faced Alice again. "Although, the last time, you know, when he hurt your wrist? Did you know he actually threw up when he came home?"

Alice shook her head, her eyes wide. "He did?" Rose nodded.

"Oh, yeah. He was really upset and told me about a girl at the shelter, named, Beth. I guess her boyfriend beat the hell out of her and she's kinda' small, like you. She'd been there over three weeks and she still had bruises."

Alice's hand flew over her mouth as she gasped in horror. "Oh my God, Rose. That's terrible."

Rosalie nodded again. "I know. I wanted to hunt the bastard down and beat him myself when Jas told me. He's not supposed to talk about the girls at the center but he needed someone to talk to. He told me he doesn't want to end up like Beth's boyfriend. Between seeing Beth's bruises at the center and Kristy Justen seeing him grab you, he was pretty shook up. He's adamant he's going to control his temper. He's even planning to start going to a counseling group his therapist suggested."

"He didn't tell me that." Alice said in disbelief. "I wonder why he didn't tell me?"

"Probably because he doesn't want you to think he's just saying it so you'll trust him again." Rose guessed.

"I suppose." Alice murmured, surprised that Jasper didn't fill her in on the latest development in his quest to get her back. "Maybe he doesn't want me to know, for some reason."

"I don't know about that, Ali, but he seems serious this time. I think he's finally realized that he's got a problem and that it's not okay."

Alice looked at Rosalie with love in her eyes. "Thank you, Rose. Thank you for understanding and for supporting us both."

Embarrassment shown on Rosalie's face. She ducked her head and clasped her hands together. "I'm really sorry I didn't before, Ali." She whispered, obviously sincere. She looked up with remorse in her eyes. "I didn't think it was right what Jasper did to you, but he's my baby brother. I couldn't turn on him but I should've taken what he was doing to you more seriously. All of us should have. No one should have to suffer being pushed around like that, Ali. No one deserves that."

Alice felt tears spring to her eyes as she smiled at Rosalie. It felt so good to finally have her understand. It didn't mean that she had to turn against her brother, it just meant that she could be there for both of them.

Alice hugged Rosalie and Rosalie squeezed her tight. "I love you, baby girl. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you before but I am now and I'll always be here, from now on."

Alice looked up into the beautiful face above her. "I love you, Rosie, and I'm always here for you, too."

The two girls hugged again and then wiped the happy tears from their faces as they giggled at each other.

"I can't believe you told her, Rose." Emmett groaned as he ripped his fingers through his dark curls. "Oh my God. What she must think of me."

Rosalie soothed him with her soft hands and reached up to give him a kiss on his cheek. "Relax, Em. Ali doesn't think any less of you, or of me, for that matter. She's not a baby. She knows we love each other and that sleeping together is part of that. It's not like we're young kids."

"I know, Rose, but what if she thinks it's okay to sleep with Jas now?" Rosalie shook her head, her hands still soothing the man she loved.

"She doesn't, Em. We talked and she knows they're too young. No matter what Jas tells her, she's going to stick up for herself. That girl's getting a backbone on her and my baby brother better watch out." she grinned at Emmett, pleased with the outcome of her and Alice's talk. "Ha! He's not going to know what hit him. The days of Jas pushing Ali around are over. She knows what she wants and she's not going to let him get in her way."

Emmett looked worried and Rosalie laughed. "She won't be as bad as me, Emmett. It's not possible. She's too sweet."

When he laughed at her, she grinned up at him. "I promise you, they're going to be all right. I think that Jas finally understands his actions and I think that Ali finally realizes that she's better than that. They'll work it out."

"You sound so sure, my love." Emmett said as he enfolded her in his arms. "I hope you're right."

Rosalie gave him a smug smile. "I always am."

He raised his brow at her and she laughed. "Okay, almost always."

"Now, I've got something really important to discuss." Rosalie told him, her eyes dancing.

"Okay? What could that be?" his eyes twinkled, as well and he had an idea what she wanted to talk about.

"What should we be for Halloween?" her grin was silly as she gazed up at him and he threw back his head and laughed.

"I think Ali might be insulted that our Halloween costumes are more important than her but I won't tell her."

"Emmett." Rosalie whined as she smacked him on the arm. "I'm serious. Halloween is coming up and I have no idea what we should be. It's our last official Halloween as kids."

Emmett laughed again. "Rose, you kill me. One minute, you're in my face about something and the next, you're whining about costumes."

Rosalie pretended to be offended and scowled at him, her bottom lip stuck out but her laughing eyes gave her away and soon, she burst out laughing. She was just too darn happy to be mad, or even pretend to be.

"Well, since it's obviously important that we make this last Halloween really special, I guess we'll have to come up with amazing costumes, huh?" Emmett asked, his grin infectious. At Rose's happy nod, he burst out laughing again. This new Rose was going to take some getting used to.

~xo-0-ox~

"What are you going as, Jas?" Bella asked when the subject of costumes came up during band practice.

Jasper shook his head. "I have no idea, Bells. What are you guys gonna' be?" Bella shrugged and looked over at Edward. He shrugged as well and Brent laughed. They all looked over at him and Bella arched her brow at him.

"Well, what are you and Jess going to be, smarty?" she asked him when he stopped laughing.

"Well, Jess wanted to go as something glamorous but I talked her into going as pirates." he looked proud of himself and Bella laughed.

"That's lame, Brent." she said, still laughing. Brent wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

"Lame, huh? Jess as a pirate wench is going to be hot!" he made the shape of an hourglass with his hands and this time, Jasper and Edward laughed. Bella frowned at the three boys.

"You're all pigs." she declared, glaring at them. They just continued to laugh and finally, her lips fought to curl up.

"Come on, Bella. You know how much Brent appreciates Jessica's... uh... assets." Edward chuckled when she smacked him but she laughed.

"Yeah, I know. You can't miss them so I guess I can't blame him." she laughed along with the boys and gave Edward another smack for good measure. "You're still pigs, though."

Jasper nodded, his face lit up in a lop-sided grin. "That we are."

Just then, the door opened and Rosalie and Emmett came out of the house.

"What you guys laughing about?" Emmett wanted to know, already grinning.

"We were wondering what we should be for Halloween and Brent said that he and Jessica are going as pirates." Bella said, her hands on her hips but a smile lingering on her mouth. "I told him that was lame and he informed us that he thinks Jess will look great as a pirate wench while he wiggled his eyebrows in a pervy fashion."

Rosalie grinned and Emmett laughed out loud. "He does have a point." Emmett agreed and grunted when Rosalie elbowed him in the abdomen.

"You shouldn't be noticing things like that, Emmett Cullen. She's just a child." Rose told him as she fought the grin on her face. The others laughed at their antics. They couldn't believe how much Rose had changed in the last week.

"She sure don't look like no child." Emmett argued. "Besides, how could I not notice, with Brent bringing it up every time we turn around?"

Brent let out a bark of laughter at Emmett's attempts to turn Rosalie's attention back to him and Rose gave him a secret grin. Brent rarely talked about Jessica like that and they all knew it.

Smacking Emmett again, Rose continued. "Well, try and keep your eyes where they belong from now on, Mister."

"Have you two decided what you're going to be for Halloween, Rose?" Bella asked her, affectively changing the subject.

Rose shook her head. "No. The Hulk, here, wants to be Superman." Rose rolled her eyes and the others laughed. Emmett scowled but she went on. "I put the kibosh on that one. He's only been Superman twice already. Although he would look good in those tights." she grinned wolfishly at him and he put his hands over the fly of his pants.

"Really! Now who's being pervy?" he mocked her but his eyes danced with mischief. Jasper laughed at the two of them, happy that his sister was actually being silly.

Emmett escorted Rose toward the door as they all continued to laugh. "Well, we're out of here. We'll let you know what we're going as, once we decide. Don't go stealing our idea, either. I am Superman and Rose knows it."

They all groaned at Emmett's attempt at humor as he and Rose bid the band good-bye and the talk turned to costumes again.

"Anyway, I'd like to go as vampires but, of course, Edward isn't sure." Bella continued, sticking her tongue out at Edward. "He wants to go as a knight and his lady." Bella rolled her eyes and made a face.

"Hey! I get to have a sword that way." Edward said, much to Brent's delight.

"Me, too!" Brent crowed, pumping his fist in the air. "Besides Jess being a hot wench, I'm gonna' totally rock the sword."

Bella shook her head in disgust and looked at Jasper. "Got any idea at all what you wanna' be, Jas?"

Jasper scratched the back of his neck, looking uncertain. "Well, I want to ask Ali to go to the party with me but I don't know if she will. I figured we'd dress to match, if we go together, otherwise, I'll probably just be something lame."

Bella gave him a look of sympathy. "Well, I can feel her out for you, if you want." Bella offered, ignoring Brent's off-color joke at 'feeling Ali out'.

Jasper grinned at Brent but turned his gaze back to Bella. "If you don't mind, that would be great, Bella. She's so moody all the time now and I really have no right to expect her to go with me." he cast sheepish eyes at the other two boys. "I've vowed to keep my hands off of her, though."

The other boys nodded and smiled at Jasper. He looked back at Bella. "Good for you, Jas. I know you're working to control your temper with Ali. I'm sure she'll come around once she feels she can trust you again."

Jasper smiled gratefully at Bella. "Thanks, Bella. That means a lot."

"Whatcha' doing', guys?" a small voice chirped as Alice came bouncing in the back door. "Taking a break?"

"Kinda'." Bella answered for all of them. She gave Jasper a sly look and then walked over to meet Alice. "We were talking about what we were going to be for the Halloween party." Bella sat on one of the stools as Alice climbed on the other. "You're going to the party, aren't you?"

Alice looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess. I really hadn't thought much about it, to tell you the truth." she looked over at Jasper who had his back turned to them and was talking to Edward and Brent.

"Oh?" Bella asked, watching her. "Were you thinking of going with Jasper?"

Alice looked at her, a little startled. "I don't... know. He hasn't asked me but, since we're not going together any more, I don't know if he will." Alice looked away from Bella's face, her voice soft. "I may go with someone else."

Bella's eyes widened. This was not going at all how she hoped. "Someone else? Who else would you go with, Ali?"

Alice appeared uncertain as she looked down at her hands in her lap. "Well, someone has hinted that they'd like me to go with them but I'm... not sure." She looked up at Jasper once more, her teeth worrying her lower lip, making it clear to Bella that she didn't know what to do.

"Well, I know that Jasper'd like to ask you but he's not sure if you'd want to." she offered, hoping to make up Alice's mind for her. Alice's eyes met hers and Bella felt uneasy. "Who hinted that they wanted to go with you, Ali?"

Alice's eyes slid down to her lap again and Bella's stomach dropped. "It wasn't Seth, was it?" Bella asked cautiously. She knew that Jasper was suspicious of Alice and Seth's friendship already.

Alice chuckled and raised her eyes. "No, Bella. It's not Seth." she shook her head, still chuckling. "What is it with you guys thinking there's more to me and Seth? He's not into me that way and, though I do think he's really cute, I don't feel that way about him, either. We just hit it off, that's all. Kind of like me and Brent, before he met Jess."

Bella felt relieved but then her stomach dropped again. _If it wasn't Seth, who was it? _She gave Alice an encouraging look and Alice's face flushed.

"You can't tell Jas, Bella. Promise?" at Bella's nod, Alice drew a deep breath and looked directly into Bella's eyes. "It's... Matt." she said in a soft voice, watching Bella's reaction.

Bella gasped and shook her head. "You can't, Ali. You can't." She turned to look at Jasper. He was laughing at something Brent was saying and her heart ached for him. She looked back at Alice. "It'll tear him up if you go with Matt, Ali. You know that."

Alice nodded, her sad eyes looking over at Jasper. She wanted to be happy with Jasper but she wanted to be independent, too. _Ugh! Why did things have to be so hard?_

Her eyes darted back to Bella when Bella suddenly grabbed her hand. "Promise me, Ali. Promise me that you won't go with Matt." her eyes beseeched Alice and Alice wondered why she was so protective of Jasper.

"Okay, Bella, I won't go with Matt." Alice assured her with a sigh. "I didn't really consider it. It's just that no one else has asked me and I don't want to go alone. Everyone else is paired up this year."

Bella let out a sigh of relief. "Jas does want to go with you, Ali. He told me he does."

"Then why hasn't he asked me?" Alice wondered looking over at Jasper again.

"He's scared you'll think he's trying to tell you what to do again." Bella told her. "He's trying so hard to change. Won't you give him a chance, Ali?"

Alice stood up and put her hands on her hips. Glaring at Bella, she said, "I am giving him a chance, Bella. You've seen how he acts with me. Would you put up with that from Edward?" she nodded as Bella looked contrite. "Of course, you wouldn't, so why should I?" she sat back down, her face friendlier. "I've spent time with Jas, Bella. We've talked and I'm trying to meet him half way but, I'm not going out with him again. Not until we're older and, I know for sure he's changed."

"I understand, Ali. I do, and I don't think that the way Jasper has treated you is okay." She glanced over at the boys. "I just feel bad for him. He reminds me of a lost puppy when he talks about you. It breaks my heart."

Alice laughed and Bella grinned at her. "You're as soft as I am, Bella. You try to hide it, but you are."

Bella put her finger over her lips. "Shhhhhhh. Don't tell anyone, Ali."

The two girls laughed together and Alice saw Jasper sneak a glance their way. She pretended not to see him but inside, she was pleased. Then she realized that Jasper knew that Bella was speaking on his behalf and she didn't want him all puffed up full of himself.

"Bella, tell me the truth. Did Jas send you to talk to me?" Alice asked, her hands on her hips.

Bella shook her head. "I swear, Ali. He didn't. We were talking about costumes and he said he wasn't sure what he was going as. He said he wanted to ask you but he didn't know if you'd go with him. I offered to ask you about it so he'd know if he should invite you, or not."

"Oh. Well, I guess I'd like to go with him." Alice said, her bluster gone as quick as it had come. "I just want to go as friends, though." Ali told her, watching Jasper from underneath her lashes.

"Okay. Good." Bella said with relief. "Why don't you go back home and I'll tell him. He'll probably come over and ask you later."

"All right. Thanks, Bella." Alice hopped off the stool and was moving toward the door when a familiar voice stopped her.

"Are you leaving, Ali?" Jasper asked with a note of desperation in his voice. Alice looked from him to Bella and back again.

"Um... well... no. I'll stay. I came over to hear you guys practice anyway." Alice smiled at him while his eyes devoured her.

"I'm glad you did. You haven't listened to us in a while." Jasper said softly. Then he looked startled. "I mean... that's not an accusation, or anything."

Alice smiled bigger, reassuring him. "It's okay, Jas. I didn't take it that way."

He smiled with delight and Alice got back up on her stool. His face still showing his pleasure, he told Alice about some of the new songs they'd written and said he'd like her to hear them. Alice was thrilled that he wanted to share them with her and nodded excitedly.

"I'd love that, Jas." she enthused as Bella walked back over to her place in the band. Just then, Alice realized that Seth wasn't there. "Isn't Seth going to practice today?" she asked.

Jasper's smile dropped but he nodded. "Yeah, he's coming. He.. uh... had to get... a ride."

Alice was puzzled but then she understood what Jasper meant. Seth had to get a ride with his sister, Mara, which probably meant that she would stay to listen to them practice.

Jasper looked guilty as he glanced down at Annabelle in his hands.

"You don't have to stay, if you don't want to, Ali. I understand. I should've told you before." He ran his hand over his guitar and fiddled with the strings before looking back up at her hopefully.

"It's alright. I'll stay. I'd like to hear your new songs." It was worth having to put up with Mara to see the smile that now lit up Jasper's face. Her heart flipped over in her chest. Not only was he very good-looking but he was also being so sweet and she loved him with all her heart.

Alice was looking through her graphic samples while the band warmed up when she heard the unmistakable sound of a car drive up out front. She gritted her teeth and steeled herself to see Mara again. She hadn't exchanged two words with her since the incident on the night of the Harvest dance but she'd seen her plenty of times hanging on Jasper at school. Jasper was fooled by her pathetic, lonely, new girl act but Alice knew better. She'd seen the calculating glances and the admiring leers. Mara was worse than Lauren had ever been and Alice would rather not be in the same town as her, let alone the same room.

Seth trotted in through the house door and grinned at Alice.

"Ali! You came to practice." His eyes lit up with pleasure.

Alice grinned back. "Yeah." she said lamely and Seth chuckled as he put down his guitar case.

"Oh. Hey, Alice." Mara said, surprised, as she strolled into the garage like she owned the place. "It's been a long time since you've come to listen to the boys practice." Her catty eyes slid over to Bella. "Oh, and Bella, of course."

Alice just nodded. She was not going to pretend that they were friends and she sure as hell wasn't going to talk to her.

Mara made a little huffing noise but plopped into a chair closer to the band and crossed her bare legs, her skirt riding up practically to her underwear.

_If she had any on._ Alice bit her lip to try not to laugh at her thoughts. _Didn't the girl know that it was cold in October in Wisconsin? Didn't she own any jeans, or any pants at all, for that matter? Her evil heart from hell probably kept her warm. _Obviously Mara wasn't one of Alice's favorite people but she decided she wasn't going to waste any more time on her. Keeping her eyes on Brent as he beat out the opening rhythm for their first song, Alice pretended that Mara wasn't there.

Alice was practically melted on her stool. It was obvious that the song Jasper was singing was about her. It was melodic with a rocky edge, which was their basic style, but there was something deeper to it. Something more heartfelt than their usual songs and Alice understood why Jasper had been so excited for her to stay. She watched him as he sang and played his guitar and her heart swelled in her chest. It would be so easy to forgive him and go on as they'd been.

"_No, Alice."_ she scolded herself. _"You can't give in. You have to be strong for both of you."_

She took a deep breath and sat up straight on the stool. Going back to where her and Jasper had been, was not an option. She had to hold firm or he'd never understand that she was her own person.

When the song finished, Alice clapped enthusiastically, her eyes glowing with admiration.

"You liked it?" Jasper asked, barely able to keep his eagerness leashed.

"I did." Alice told him with a big smile. "It's beautiful, seriously. I think it's the band's best song yet."

Jasper's chest swelled with pride as he looked at the other members of the band. They were all grinning and exchanged pleased looks before Brent piped up.

"Jasper wrote that one on his own."

Alice could've sworn she heard Jasper groan but, when she looked at him, he just smiled bashfully. His face was all pink, though and Alice thought it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

"Well, it's terrific. I really love it." she said, noting the looks between Edward and Brent, big grins still on their faces. "You guys are going to rock the Valentine's Day dance next February."

"Oh! You guys are playing the Valentine's dance?" Mara asked, eyeing Jasper. "I'd hoped you weren't."

"Why is that, Mara?" Seth asked her with sarcasm but she just smiled.

"It's great, it's just that you can't have fun at the dance if you're performing." Mara stated ignoring her brother.

"Sure we can." Edward said, looking over at Seth. "Performing is a lot more fun than some boring old dance."

Seth nodded. "You got that right, bro!"

Edward laughed as Seth ran his hands over his guitar, letting go with a loud riff and Alice couldn't help grinning at the fuss Mara was making. She looked over to see her standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at Seth.

If she'd had time, Alice would've covered her mouth to blot out the sound of glee that came from between her lips. As it was, Mara's glare was turned on her but Seth rescued her.

"Mara, you just don't understand." he told her drawing her attention back to him. "Music is more to us than just playing in a band. It means something to us."

"I get that, Seth." Mara snapped, not enjoying having her opinion trivialized. "Obviously, I meant that you guys couldn't dance if you're performing."

"Oh, we dance." Seth mocked her, his eyes twinkling as he watched the fire in hers. "Haven't you been paying attention? We're all over the place when we perform. We sweat like pigs."

He looked over at Bella. "Well, us guys do, anyway."

Bella laughed. "Oh, trust me, I'm a pig, too."

Everyone laughed at her comment, except Mara. She continued to glare at her brother. She knew very well what he was doing and she suspected that the rest of them did, too.

"It's so obvious to everyone but Jas." Bella commented to Alice later. Their eyes followed the boys as they moved around the garage.

"I don't understand why he believes her." Alice shook her head. "He can't be oblivious to her, can he?"

Bella shook her head. "I don't know, Ali." she said, looking over at her friend. "I guess he just wants to believe the best of people but you'd think he'd see right through her crap."

Alice bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "Does she come to practice often?"

Bella nodded, looking ashamed. "Practically every day."

Alice raised shocked eyes to Bella's. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know, Ali. I guess we figured, what you didn't know, wouldn't hurt you. Seth needs a ride and Emmett's not always around to give him one."

Alice nodded. "Yeah. I just wish she'd back off. It's not like Jasper even pays any attention to her."

"I know. She's just embarrassing herself." Bella agreed, then she chuckled. "She's way more pathetic than even Lauren. At least Lauren puts more effort into trying not to be so obvious."

Both girls rolled their eyes and laughed.

~xo-0-ox~

Author's Note: The next chapter will reveal what costumes our gang will decide on, as well as the Halloween party that they're going to. I'm a little behind since it's Thanksgiving already next week but please bear with me. I'm trying to catch up.

Check out my profile page to see what I've been up to while you've been wondering if I was ever going to update this story again. If you weren't able to receive the compilations, my stories for the 'Fandom4Texas' and 'Mal & Leo's HEA' will be posted sometime after Thanksgiving. You can find their banners on my banner page. The link is also on my profile page. Thanks for reading!


	78. Trickery

Trickery

78.

**Hello lovely readers! Can you believe I'm finally back? I've had an incredibly stressful 6 months and I could apologize forever for my long absence but I think you'd rather read what's happening with Ali and Jas. I truly am sorry, though, and hope to continue updating consistently now. *fingers crossed***

**I have also written for quite a few causes over the last few months and helped to raise a lot of money. I'm taking a break from causes now, I'm kind of burned out, but I'll be posting those stories soon. ('A Tale to Be Told, A Twilight Fairytale' has already been posted. If you haven't checked it out, please do... and let me know what you think. I'll be expanding it to tell Rose and Prince Emmett's story and of course, Bella and Prince Edward's, too.) **

**Thanks for hanging in there and thank you for continuing to ask about this story! I appreciate and love you all. I hope you enjoy the rest of 'My Everything'. **

**This chapter continues straight from Chapter 77. It's Halloween. See if you can figure out some of the costumes before they're revealed. :o) **

~xo-0-ox~

After practice, everyone went into the house to have a snack, except for Alice. Jasper hung back to ask her to join them and watched for her answer with eager eyes.

"Thanks, Jas, but I've got something I have to do first, okay?"

She kept her head down and wouldn't meet his eyes, and he wanted her to look at him so badly. Trying to be patient, Jasper told her to come in whenever she was ready.

Alice watched him go into the house and pull the door shut behind him. As soon as it closed, she quickly ran out the garage's back door. Grabbing a white garment bag off the trellis where she'd hung it earlier, she hurried back toward the garage door. Peeking into the garage and seeing it still empty, she crept over to the cabinet where she kept her band stuff and knelt down to hide the bag behind a box of T-shirts. Her head still inside the cabinet, she thought she heard a sound behind her and backed out quickly. Whirling toward the sound, she was relieved to see that the door was still closed and no one was there. She turned back to the cabinet and checked inside once more. Making sure the large bag wasn't visible, she closed the door and smiled gleefully. Her secret was safe.

Alice walked into the house, still feeling excitement over her success, and failed to notice the calculating look on Mara's face. Settling into the chair left for her at the table, she helped herself to some iced tea and a sandwich, giving Jasper a small smile when he glanced her way. While the others discussed music, Alice happily munched on her sandwich, a sense of satisfaction filling her. Even though choosing her costume was a small thing, she felt as though it was just another step in finally taking charge of her own life.

Edward was concentrating at his piano in the Hales' garage, as Bella and Jasper put their guitars away. He'd barely closed his guitar case, before Jasper approached Bella, a slightly desperate look on his face. Bella bit her lip to stop the laugh that bubbled up inside her as she pretended not to notice him.

"So, Bella," Jasper started, one hand in his pocket, the other running through his hair.

Bella looked up from closing her case, a big grin on her face. Jasper was working hard to hide his eagerness, much to Bella's amusement.

"I wondered how long you'd last." she laughed out loud, unable to help herself.

He gave her a sheepish smile. "Not very long, huh?"

A shake of her head and a small chuckle was all she gave him.

"So, are you going to tell me what she said, or not?" he asked, his voice impatient. Bella laughed again, she was enjoying this too much.

"Well, I suppose I could tell you what she said," Bella said, drawing out his torture, her eyes twinkling. "But then I'd have to kill you."

When he groaned and fisted his hair, she giggled but sobered quickly when she saw the emerging frustration on his face.

"Oh, don't go getting all cranky," Bella laughed, rolling her eyes. "She said she'd go with you."

Bella squealed in surprise when he let out a holler and grabbed her up to swing her around.

"Thank you, Bells!" he grinned and then let her go, fist-pumping the air with a cry of triumph. Edward looked over at the commotion with a roll of his eyes and shook his head, before turning back to his piano.

Bella smiled as she watched Jasper celebrate but then remembered Alice's condition. Putting her hand on Jasper's arm, she drew his attention back to her. He calmed immediately, a cautious expression over-taking his features.

"One thing, Jas. Ali was hoping you'd ask her but she made it very clear that she only wants to go as friends." At his nod, his eyes still sparkling, she continued. "You should also know that someone else planned to ask her, too."

Jasper immediately frowned and his eyes narrowed angrily. "Someone else?" At Bella's nod, he took a step closer, his fists immediately clenching. "Who?"

"Jasper Hale! Don't you go getting all jealous on me, now." Bella scolded him, causing him to take a step back. "Cranky and impatient I can handle but your anger is another thing." Bella stepped closer and jabbed him in the chest. "I've been sticking up for you but, if you keep up this caveman routine, I'm taking Ali's side. You're never going to get anywhere with her if you keep freaking out every time another guy pays attention to her. You should just be happy that she was waiting for you, instead of wondering who the other guy is."

Jasper ducked his head and blushed. "You're right, Bella. Sorry."

She put her hands on her hips and tried to hide her smile. He was so cute when he was acting like a little, whipped puppy. If he could get a handle on his jealousy and anger, he'd be almost as perfect as Edward. Bella softened her voice as well as her features.

"Ali is not only adorably small but she's getting more gorgeous by the day. Guys are gonna' look at her, Jas. You're just gonna' have to get used to it and stop taking it out on Ali."

She sighed at Jasper's guilty expression and figured she'd just better get the bad news over with.

"You'll probably hear it at school anyway. Just remember to keep your cool, okay?" she watched for his reaction before continuing.

Jasper nodded and looked at her with a burning in his eyes but his face calm.

"Your best friend in the whole world let it be known that he wanted to take her, Jas. Who else did you think it would be?" Bella said, sarcastically, her anger at Matt apparent. "I don't even think he really likes her that much any more. I think he just does it to get to you."

Jasper clenched his teeth together, his hands closing into fist again. When he felt he could talk without yelling, he forced himself to relax and took a deep breath.

"She told him no, then?" he asked, trying to appear unfazed. Knowing how hard he was trying, Bella gave him the information he wanted.

"He never got around to asking her, Jas, not yet, anyway. She just heard he was going to, so she didn't have to give him an answer. She did say she'd go with you, though, so why don't you go ask her before she ends up not having anyone to go with?"

Jasper nodded, in a hurry to find Alice and secure her before his former friend did.

"Thanks, Bella. I'll go ask her right now." he said, eagerly running off, Bella's chuckle following him out the door.

Jasper knocked lightly on the kitchen door as he peeked inside the Cullen's house. He knew Alice was the only one home and he didn't want to startle her by just walking in. They really weren't supposed to be alone together but he couldn't wait another minute to see her. Before he could call out to her, though, he heard her voice coming from the living room. He went to the doorway to see her talking excitedly on the phone.

"Oh my God, Kristy!" Alice squealed, bouncing up and down. "I can't believe it! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Ali," she laughed. "Though I didn't do anything but help you learn the moves. You made it on your own." she assured her. "Those girls are tough and you wouldn't have made it if you weren't good enough."

Ali let out a sigh. "I do feel sorry for the girls that didn't make it, though. We all worked so hard."

"I know," agreed Kristy. "It's hard deciding who makes it and who doesn't, too. You want the squad to be good but you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, either."

Then Kristy's voice brightened. "On a lighter note, I can tell you that you scored the highest of everyone."

Alice gasped into the phone. "I did?"

Kristy confirmed her statement and went on to deliver further good news. "Yep, and get this. We get to perform our first dance at the Halloween pep rally next Friday. We're going to do the try-out routine and we get to wear costumes."

"So soon?" Alice asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

Kristy laughed. "Don't worry, Ali. You'll do great."

"I suppose." she said, reluctantly, anxious now that she'd actually have to perform in front of her classmates. "I've just never performed in front of an audience before."

"You performed in front of the judges at try-outs. I know it's not the same but we're going to practice every day after school. That way, we'll know the routine perfectly, so no worries, okay?" Kristy tried to reassure her. "Then, all we have to do is figure out what costumes to wear."

Alice had a huge smile on her face when she noticed Jasper standing by the doorway. Her face fell but she looked away from him as she finished talking to Kristy. She said her goodbyes and clicked her phone off. Turning toward him, she accessed his face for some clue as to what he was feeling.

"So, you made the squad, huh?" he asked, his face carefully passive.

Alice, still studying his face, nodded. He smiled but Alice knew it wasn't sincere by the guarded look in his eyes.

"Well, that's great. Congratulations, Ali." he said, smile still in place. She smiled back at him, happy that he wasn't overreacting.

"Thank you, Jas." she took a step toward him. "I'm so glad that you're not mad. This is something I'm really excited about."

Jasper nodded, his gaze taking her in. "I know, darlin'. I'm still not thrilled about it but I really have no say in what you do."

Alice watched him, not sure what to say. He let out a sigh and relaxed his shoulders, a small, genuine smile curving his lips.

"Anyway, I think you'll be really great. I'm happy for you." he watched her face light up and felt a small hitch in his chest. He liked the feeling and gave her a brilliant smile. "In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing you perform."

"Really?" she breathed as she walked up to him. He nodded and she made a happy sound as she squeezed him around his waist. "Thank you, Jas!"

Jasper closed his eyes in pleasure as he hugged Alice back. He hadn't had the opportunity to even touch her in so long. When she pulled away, he was thrilled to see happiness shining from her.

"Our first performance is at the Halloween pep rally next week." she told him, still happy but searching his face as she spoke. "We even get to wear costumes. It's gonna' be so much fun!"

"It sounds like it. Do you know what your costumes are gonna' to be, yet?" he asked, trying so hard to show interest without sounding bossy or condescending.

"No. Kristy said we'll discuss it at practice after school tomorrow." she spun around, hugging herself. "I'm so excited! I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad."

"They'll be really happy for you." he agreed as he looked at her with longing. "So will Em and Edward."

Alice frowned and chewed her lip. "I don't know about Em." she said, wanting his opinion. "I don't think he's any more thrilled than you are."

"Don't be silly. He's always behind whatever you do, Ali, just like I've always been." Then he blushed as he remembered that he hadn't been very supportive lately. "Well, like I used to be."

Alice laughed at the sheepish look on his face. "Well, you're being supportive now. That's all that matters to me."

He ran his hand through his hair, a soft smile on his face. "That's me, supportive Jas." he quipped, causing Alice to giggle.

"Well, you're doing a really good job." she said, giggling again at his expression.

Thank you, Ali," Jasper told her, his face conflicted. Suddenly, his face cleared and he looked intensely down at her.

"I almost forgot in all the excitement." he looked away from her and swallowed nervously. Even though Bella had assured him that Alice wanted to go to the party with him, he still didn't want to upset her or make her feel pressured.

"What is it, Jas?" she asked, putting her hand on his arm, her eyes concerned.

"It's nothing bad. I just wondered if you, well, if you'd go to the Halloween dance with me?" he caught the uncertainty in her eyes and hurried on. "Just as friends, of course. Like we talked about before."

Alice smiled, her eyes luminous. "Yes, Jasper. I'd love to." His grin tugged at her heart and she touched his arm again. "Thank you, Jas, for understanding about just being friends and about the pom pon squad."

"It's alright, Ali. Like I said, it's your decision. Besides, I just want you to be happy." he continued, assuring her that he did understand. "I think I'm finally getting it through my thick skull that you're your own person. I admit, I don't always like it but I'm learning to live with it."

~xo-0-ox~

Jasper slumped in the back seat of Emmett's Jeep as Alice went on and on to Emmett in the front, about her pom pon practice. He hated that she'd be dancing in front of all of his friends and teammates in her short, little skirt. He'd heard a few of them talking about how hot some of the girls who'd made the new squad were and, though they hadn't mentioned Ali by name, he knew they only hadn't because he was there. He'd vowed to not let it get to him but he didn't feel very secure in his vow.

"And, we get to wear costumes. How cool is that?" Ali continued and Jasper heard Emmett agree that the assembly would be cool. He gritted his teeth wondering what they'd dress up as since Alice hadn't known when she'd told him about it. Before he could take another breath, Emmett asked the question he was dying to ask.

"So, what're you prancing pommers gonna' dress up as?" he teased, followed by Alice's giggle.

"I'm not sure yet. Kristy's trying to work it out. I'm sure it'll be something fun, though."

Jasper gave a little groan and Edward looked over at him from the other seat. Jasper glanced at him and saw him shaking his head, a warning in his eyes. He knew Edward was right. He shouldn't say anything because it would only make Alice mad but he couldn't stand the suspense. He hoped Kristy wouldn't pick something too revealing. Their uniforms were bad enough.

"Um... Ali?" Jasper mumbled as they were getting out of Emmett's car in the Cullen's driveway. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

Alice looked at him with a friendly smile. "Sure, Jas."

They waited as Edward and Emmett went into the house before Jasper turned serious eyes on her.

"I was wondering...um... what were you planning to wear to the Halloween party? Do you wanna' dress alike since we're going together?"

Alice looked down at the ground and Jasper felt his heart sink. After what seemed like several minutes but was only seconds, Alice looked up reluctantly.

"Well," she bit her lip, her eyes losing some of their shine. "I wasn't sure if you were going to ask me, or not, Jas, so I went ahead and got my costume last week."

"Oh." Jasper couldn't help but be disappointed. He'd wanted them to go as a couple, but he'd waited too long to ask her. "Well, that's okay. What did you get? Maybe I can figure out something to match."

Alice got a mischievous grin on her face remembering the costume she'd stashed in Jasper's garage. "I'm not telling." she chirped, her eyes dancing.

Jasper chuckled. "Oh yeah? It's a secret, huh?"

When she nodded, he wiggled his fingers at her and gave her an evil grin as she squealed.

"No, Jas! You're not going to make me tell by tickle torturing me." she danced out of his way. He came after her. "Please don't! I want it to be a surprise."

Jasper laughed and put his hands down. "Okay, Ali, you can keep your secret. I'll think of something to wear."

"Thanks, Jas." she told him, her eyes shining with excitement. No one knew what costume she'd gotten, not even her mom. It would be a surprise for everyone and she couldn't wait.

The next day at school, Jasper pulled his books out of his locker and turned at the sound of his name.

"Hey, Jas!"

He smiled happily at the girl coming toward him.

"Hey, Mara!" he said, pleased to see her. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." she told him, biting her lip, her eyes worried. "I do have something to tell you, though."

Jasper kept his face calm but he wondered what was going on now. He was beginning to realize that drama seemed to follow Mara where ever she went.

"Nothing bad, I hope." he commented, watching her closely.

"Well," she began reluctantly, looking up at him from under her lashes. "Don't get mad but I heard that Matt Davidson is planning to ask Ali to the village Halloween party." She winced as she watched him, secretly grinning on the inside but his face remained calm.

"Thanks for warning me, Mara, but I already asked Ali, so he's out of luck." Jasper told her, relieved that he'd beaten his nemesis to the punch.

Mara smiled, happy that her plan to further alienate Alice and Jasper was working. "Oh? But I thought you weren't going together any more."

Jasper shook his head. "We're not. We're just going to the party together. I do hope to change that sometime soon, though." he added with a sassy grin.

Mara's eyes narrowed slightly at his words but she fought to keep the angry expression off her face.

"Oh. Well, that's good, then," she volunteered. "I'm glad we avoided that drama, huh?"

When Jasper agreed, she put the second part of her plan into action.

"I heard that Ali's costume is a big secret." Mara said, her eyes and voice sly. She'd spied on Alice when she was putting her costume in the cabinet at Jasper's. Once Alice had gone home, she'd used getting a band T-shirt as an excuse to go under the cabinet to see what it was. Now she would use that information to her advantage.

"Yeah," Jasper grinned fondly. "She's so cute. She wants to surprise everyone."

"Well, what if I told you that I know what she's going as?" Mara continued, watching the eagerness come to Jasper's eyes.

"You do?"

When she nodded, he stepped closer. "How'd you find out? I don't even think she told her mom."

Mara laughed. "She told me, silly. We've done some bonding since we're both pom pon girls now and we've called a truce."

"That's great," Jasper exclaimed, happy that Alice had finally given up on being worried about Mara. "I'm really happy to hear that."

"Me, too. So, do you wanna' know what she's going as, or not?" Mara asked, her eagerness barely contained.

Jasper looked thoughtful. "I don't know, Mara. If you tell me, we'd both be breaking her confidence."

"Give me a break, Jas. It's just a costume." Mara rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Do you really think Alice told me thinking that I wouldn't tell you? She never said I couldn't. Besides, you do want to dress alike, don't you? To go as a couple?"

Jasper felt drawn to Mara's taunting words. He did want to dress as a couple. He wanted everyone to know that he and Alice weren't over by a long shot. He also didn't want Alice mad at him, though. Then he thought about Matt wanting to ask her to go as his date and suddenly, appearing as a couple seemed very important.

"Okay, Mara, you talked me into it." Jasper laughed. "I can surprise her by matching her costume. What's she going as?"

Mara's eyes sparkled wickedly as she told Jasper what Alice's costume was. Jasper grinned at her in excitement.

"Very cool!" he exclaimed, his mind already planning what he'd wear. "Thanks, Mara. I can't wait to see her face when I show up matching her."

"I know! She'll be so surprised and I know you'll look so good together, too!" Mara assured him, laughing at how gullible he was.

~xo-0-ox~

"Oh my God, Kristy!" Ali exclaimed, one hand on her abdomen, the other clutching her pom pons in a death grip. "I'm so nervous. I think I'm going to throw up."

Kristy laughed and patted her friend on the shoulder as they waited outside the gymnasium door. "You'll be fine, Ali. Just concentrate on the music and enjoy yourself."

Alice shook her head, her eyes on the crowd inside the gym. "Easy for you to say. You've done this before."

"Don't you think I was nervous the first time?" Kristy asked, a grin on her lips. "Once the music started, though, the panic went away."

Kristy looked out the doorway as she heard the principal clear his throat at the microphone.

"Thank you for that terrific update, Ms. Wilson," he said, smiling toward the teacher in charge of fundraising. Looking back at the assembled students, he clapped his hands together with enthusiasm. "Now, getting on with our program, I'm happy to announce that today we have a very special treat for you. For the first time ever, our brand new Junior pom pon squad is going to perform. These talented girls have been working hard to get our weekend off to a good start. Let's show our appreciation, shall we?"

With that, all the girls shifted into their entrance stance, a pom pon in each hand. With a nod, Kristy led them out onto the gym floor. The girls plastered big smiles on their faces and a few of them giggled when the crowd began to show their approval of the costumes they'd chosen.

Running into formation in the center of the gym floor, the girls froze in place and the music began. Breaking abruptly into their much-practiced routine, they danced their hearts out and their classmates began to clap along to the song. Suddenly, amid a few friendly catcalls, all the tension disappeared and everyone was having a great time. Everyone but Jasper, that is.

Jasper sat on the bleachers fuming. He glanced next to him at Edward to see him smiling and watching his sister. How he could just sit there when she was dressed like that, he'd never know. His eyes searched for Emmett and his frown relaxed somewhat when he saw the somber look on Emmett's face. At least he wasn't the only one that thought the costumes the girls had chosen weren't all that appropriate. Looking back at the squad, he was able to look past the costumes and focus on Ali's performance. Her smile lit up her face and it was obvious that she was really enjoying herself. Jasper knew he couldn't say a word about their costumes or she'd never forgive him.

After the pep rally was over, Jasper slowly made his way over to Alice. She was standing with some of the other dancers and he noticed the wary look on her face as he approached. He gave her a dazzling smile and greeted her.

"Hey, Ali! You girls were great. Everyone loved your performance."

Her smile was back and Jasper sighed with relief.

"Thanks, Jas! We worked really hard on it."

"Well, it showed," he complimented a little nervously. "It's like you've all been dancing together for a long time already."

Alice gave a little bounce, her smile wide. "Really?"

When he nodded, she let out a little squeal and put her hand on his arm. "That's awesome! I'm so glad you think so."

Then she calmed, a wary look dimming the happiness on her face. "What do you think of our costumes?" she asked, watching him carefully.

Jasper chewed his lip. He wasn't sure how to answer her. "Well, I think it was a cute idea..." he trailed off.

She gave him a little grin. "We didn't really plan it. Our other ideas didn't come together so Ian came to our rescue."

Jasper frowned. "Ian? I was wondering why you didn't borrow my football jersey. You know I would've let you wear it."

Alice looked down at the floor. "I would've but Ian came up with the idea after practice one day and he got the jerseys for us. I'm wearing Mark's because he's the shortest." She fingered the hem of the jersey which still went down to her knees. "As you can see, it's still really big on me." she looked up to access Jasper's expression. "Yours would've gone practically to my feet, Jas."

Jasper broke into a grin as he pictured Alice in his football jersey. "Yeah, you're right. It would've."

They both laughed at the image in their minds. Sobering, Jasper couldn't resist. "You're a lot more covered than some of the other girls, at least."

Alice looked around at some of her teammates. There were a few where the red and black jerseys were half way up their thighs. They all had matching white shoes and socks on, and their hair was pulled back into french braids with red ribbons. They'd also smudged black stuff under their eyes like the guys wore to block any reflections from the sun while they played. All in all, Alice thought they looked adorable.

Looking back at Jasper, she added, "We do have shorts on under them, you know?" Jasper nodded.

"Well, that's a relief," he quipped, his eyes dancing. "I wouldn't want to see you kicking that high without shorts on. Well, not in front of the other guys, at least."

Alice laughed and smacked his arm with her pom pons. "I just never know what to expect out of you any more, Jasper," she stated with a small shake of her head. "I am glad you're not mad, though."

Jasper gave her a sad smile and reached out to slip a wisp of loose hair behind her ear. "I'm not mad, Ali. I'm sorry if you were worried."

She smiled her thanks as they just looked at the other, each lost in their own thoughts.

The next day, the stands at the football game were packed. Everyone came out to cheer their team on and to get revved up for the Halloween party later that night. Alice shivered with anticipation. She just knew that everyone was going to love her costume and that they were going to have a great time at the party. Her attention was brought back to the game when most of the crowd surged to their feet. Jasper ran into the end zone raising the football over his head, the sun glinting off of his helmet. She grinned as he and Edward ran towards each other, and slapped a high five.

_They're such dorks_, she thought, shaking her head with a grin.

"Did you see that, Ali?" Bella squealed next to her. "That pass Edward just threw was perfect."

Alice rolled her eyes. Bella thought that everything Edward did was just perfect.

"It was pretty great." she offered, trying not to laugh.

"Of course, Jasper's touchdown was awesome, too." Bella added generously, much to Alice's amusement. Bella forced her eyes off Edward and turned toward his sister.

"What's so funny?" she asked, her eyes confused. Alice just shook her head as she continued to laugh. For all her tough, rock-girl image, Bella was just as dorky as the boys.

Alice let her eyes roam around. She paused when she saw Matt frowning at the field from the bench. She felt bad that he rarely got to play and knew that was mostly where his resentment of Jasper came from. It wasn't Jasper's fault that he was good at everything, and good looking, too. At least he was mostly humble when it came to that stuff, in fact, it was usually a non-issue with him. She looked back out to where Jasper was being congratulated by his team mates. Her heart jumped when she saw him glance up at her and wave. She waved back and saw his smile stretch bigger as he ran in to get some water. Looking back at Matt, she caught him just as he turned his head back away from looking up at her. She frowned in confusion at the big smile on his face. _What the heck was that about? _

Jasper frowned as he walked out of the locker room shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. He heard some of his fellow team mates talking and making lewd remarks. Nearing the lockers where they were dressing, he paused out of sight to listen to what they were saying.

"Fuck! My jersey smelled so good, I may never let my mom wash it again," one of them laughed. After some crude comments, another voice joined in.

"Who wore yours?" Jasper swore he heard the boy sigh before he answered.

"Ali Cullen. God! She's gorgeous and so hot," the voice continued. "I swear I could just... ugh!"

More laughter erupted, along with a few more colorful comments.

"I know!" another boy added. "Did you see those legs?" At the sounds of approval, he continued. "How can such a small girl have such frickin' long legs?"

"I don't know," yet another boy said. "But they needed a lot more high kicks in that dance."

"Why couldn't you wear a smaller jersey, Mark?" someone called out along with more laughter.

"Yeah! I'd like to see more of those legs."

"I'd just like to see more of everything."

Scuffling sounds were followed by more laughter.

Jasper finally rounded the corner of the lockers and immediately, the laughter stopped. The suddenly silent boys continued dressing, totally engrossed in what they were doing. Jasper ignored them as he stopped in front of his locker and pulled out his clothes.

"Hey! Great game today, Jas," Mark called to him from a few lockers down. "You must be really pumped."

Jasper looked at him coldly and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed before turning back to his task.

The silence was thick as the other guys looked at each other with concern. They liked and respected Jasper, and they knew how close he was to Alice and her brothers.

"Uh, Jas?" James muttered, sheepishly. "You know we were just foolin' around, right?"

The other guys that had participated in the conversation all nodded and made noises of agreement.

"Yeah," Mark offered. "You know we didn't mean any disrespect, man." Mark held out his hands as he approached Jasper. "We just got carried away in all the excitement."

Jasper nodded, his face relaxing some.

"We didn't mean to disrespect Ali." Brice told him, moving closer. "We're sorry, bro."

Jasper finally turned to face them and saw by their faces that they really were sorry.

"I know," he said, a small smile hovering around his mouth. "I'd probably be doing it, too, if it was anyone besides Ali."

Bella was right, Alice was getting prettier by the day and he knew the other guys would start noticing, eventually. Now that she was flaunting herself on the pom pon squad, that day had come. He sighed and his shoulders sagged some.

"I can't blame you guys for noticing her," he told them, running his hand through his damp hair. The other guys all watched him curiously, wondering what he was getting at. "She's determined to show off in that skimpy uniform and, as much as I hate it, there's nothing I can do about it."

Then his eyes turned fierce as he looked from one of them, to the other. "She's still Edward's sister, though, so just remember that when you see her in the halls."

The guys surrounding Jasper all nodded, assuring him that they understood and hurried back to their clothes. Jasper gave them all one last look before putting on his shoes and slamming his locker shut. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. _At least I've got her to myself for tonight_, he thought as, with a grimace, he grabbed his duffle bag and walked out.

~xo-0-ox~

Spirits were high as the Cullens and Whitlocks readied for the party that evening. The party-goers were all meeting at the Cullen home and riding to the community center together.

"Oh my God, you guys!" Brent laughed when he saw Rose and Emmett. "Those are the best costumes ever."

Bella nodded as she looked them over. "They are so awesome. I can't believe how great you look."

Rosalie preened under their approval. She had to admit that she'd been a little worried. Her and Emmett had always gone as something on the glamorous side before and, though she knew she looked good, her wig and all the make up covered up just about everything that was her but her body.

"Thanks! I'm glad you like them." she said, her hands smoothing her pale pink gown. "I wasn't sure how they'd turn out but I think we did pretty good."

"Pretty good?" Emmett boomed. "We did frickin' awesome!"

The other kids laughed as he chuckled and stomped around on his thick-soled shoes. Rose shook her head in disgust at him but her lips quirked at his antics. Just then, Edward came flying down the stairs, a long black cape flapping behind him. His eyes widened when he saw his brother and Rose.

"Whoa!" erupted out of him as he skid to a stop. "You guys look incredible."

He circled around them, his eyes wide, taking in the details of their costumes.

"It's like they were made just for you," he stated, his eyes still roaming over them. "Except for the black wig, Rose, you guys _are_ your costumes. It's so obvious! Why didn't any of us think of this before?"

Emmett laughed at his brother but Rose just scowled, not sure if she should be pleased by Edward's comments, or insulted. Before she could rip Edward a new one, though, the doorbell rang and Bella let Jessica into the house. Rose watched as her eyes widened when she spotted them.

"Oh, wow!" she said. "Great costumes."

Rose smiled. "Thanks, Jess. You look pretty great yourself."

Emmett leered. "I'll say."

Rosalie smacked him, much to Brent's amusement as he leaned over and gave Jessica a welcoming kiss.

"You do look great, Jess." he told her, an appreciative smile on his face. She filled out her lady pirate wench costume just right and he, as well as every other guy at the party, would be sure to notice every chance they got.

Jessica blushed and hitched up the neckline of her costume self-consciously.

"You don't think it's too revealing?" she asked, her cheeks pink.

Brent shook his head. "Not at all. You look amazing."

Jessica smiled with pleasure, deciding to try not to worry and just enjoy herself.

"Thanks, Brent." she said, kissing him on the cheek. "You're sweet."

Jasper came through the door and whistled. "Damn! You guys all look terrific. I feel way under-dressed."

Edward laughed as he looked his best friend over. Jasper scowled at him but looked over at Emmett to see his reaction. Before Emmett could say a word, Jasper launched himself at him and almost knocked him off his feet.

"Knock it off, you jerks!" Rosalie shrilled at the two of them. She grabbed Jasper's arm. "You're going to mess up his costume and then I'll have to kill you slowly with as much pain as possible."

Jasper dropped off Emmett's back, the two of them laughing but eyeing Rose cautiously. Jasper looked his friend and appointed big brother over, shaking his head.

"I don't know, Em. That suit looks a little small on you." Jasper quipped, his eyes dancing. "I thought you were supposed to wear a costume. You look the same to me."

He and Edward cracked up until Emmett commented on Jasper's costume.

"Well, at least I don't look like a girly version of the Fonz." At Jasper's immediate frown, he roared with laughter. "Are you sure you used enough gel on your silky locks?" He held up his thumbs and let out an exaggerated, "Ayyyyyyyyy!"

Jasper growled and was just about to launch himself at Emmett again when Rose cut in.

"Don't even think about it, Stud." To which everyone, including Jasper, burst out laughing.

Just then, Alice came down the stairs, curiosity on her smiling face. "What's so funny?" she asked.

Jasper's eyes lit up when he heard her but he frowned when he saw her clothes. A long, tan trench coat covered her to her ankles. All he could see of her, was her head, her hands, and her tiny feet, on which she wore little, white flats with green yarn balls glued to the top of each one.

Emmett pushed past him to meet his sister at the bottom of the stairs. "What're you supposed to be, Ali, a flasher?" he joked, his grin infectious.

"Yep. That's exactly what I am, Emmett," Alice laughed. "I'm a pervert that runs around flashing young boys."

The other boys cheered enthusiastically as Emmett enjoyed her answer and lifted her off the stairs.

"I guess I'll have to keep my eye on you, then, to make sure you don't open that coat for anyone."

Alice winked at him as he set her down.

"That's no fun." Jasper play-pouted as Alice turned towards him with a grin. Her eyes widened when she saw him.

"Hi, Jas." she said, smiling up at him. "You look so... cool." She held up her thumbs with a laugh.

Jasper groaned. "I've already heard all the Fonzie jokes, Ali. Thanks, anyway." She giggled and looked around at all her friends.

"You guys all look great." she said. "This party is going to be such a blast."

Edward pulled his cape over his mouth and glowered at her. "It will be bloody good fun."

Everyone groaned and he protested. "Hey! That's the first vamp joke I've made."

Bella took out her fangs and put her arm around him. "That's okay, Count. That can be your last one, too."

He smiled at her and everyone started talking at once. They were all impatient to get to the party to see what the other guests would be wearing.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Edward asked, looking at Emmett and Alice.

Emmett shrugged. "I don't know."

"They're still upstairs with Mr. Jackson and Ms. Lynnette," Alice told them. She saw Edward look up the stairs and break out into a huge grin. Turning, she gasped and started to laugh. Coming down the stairs were Carlisle and Jackson, dressed as Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble.

"Hey!" Carlisle called out, his eyes twinkling. "What're you laughing at, Princess?"

Her laughter contagious, Alice looked over her dad and Jackson. Her dad was the skinniest Fred she'd ever seen and Barney, who was supposed to be short, was taller than Fred. Since her dad had dark hair and Jackson had blond, they didn't have wigs on but they'd both used eyebrow pencil to dot stubble on their chins. They also both had bare feet.

Doubling over in laughter, Alice watched as Emmett stomped up to his dad and started to lift up the hem of his costume. Carlisle batted his hand away.

"What're you doing, ya' goofball?" Carlisle hollered, stepping away from him.

"I just wondered what you had on under that," Emmett deadpanned. "Is it like a kilt?"

Jackson shook his fist at him playfully and, glancing at the clock on the wall, turned to holler up the stairs. "Come on, Betty! We're gonna' be late."

Of course, Carlisle had to outdo him. "Wil-ma!" he hollered, much to everyone's delight.

Esme and Lynnette came down the stairs laughing and shaking their heads. Brent wolf-whistled when he saw them.

"Dang! You ladies are way hotter than even Ginger and Mary Ann."

Jasper pushed him, laughing. "You watch too much TV Land, Brent."

Alice smiled shyly at Jasper as he helped her out of his dad's car. He'd held her hand the whole drive over and had been like his old self. She felt a shiver of pleasure run through her and couldn't wait for Jasper to see her costume.

They all walked into the building together and looked around in awe. Every inch of the room was covered in black and orange, and creepy decorations. Most everyone was dressed in colorful, elaborate costumes and there was a huge table groaning under the weight of delectable-looking food.

Alice hugged herself in glee and did a little dance next to Jasper.

"This is so exciting, Jas." she breathed, her eyes sparkling.

He watched her with amusement, forgetting that she hadn't been to the town's annual Halloween party before. Only kids thirteen, and up, were allowed with their parents.

"It is pretty cool," he commented, looking the room over. He spotted several of their friends from school and grinned at some of their costumes.

"Look, Ali," he said, pointing. "There's James. Oh God! Is that toilet paper wrapped around him?"

Alice laughed and nodded. "I think so."

Jasper rolled his eyes and looked at Edward. "Did you see James?"

Edward nodded and grinned. "Yeah. What a goof."

Suddenly, a big hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Let's find a table to make base at."

They followed Emmett to a large, round table, their parents going to join their friends.

"How's this?" Emmett asked as he pulled out a chair.

Everyone agreed it was good and put down their stuff before drifting off in different directions.

"So, Ali," Jasper began with a grin. "Are you taking your coat off, or is that really your costume?"

Alice looked up at him, her eyes dancing with mischief. "You know this isn't my costume, Jas."

He chuckled and watched her to see what she would do. He'd been dying to see under her coat since she'd come down the stairs and she hadn't even said anything about his costume matching hers. He'd tried to figure out by her hair what she was supposed to be but he hadn't a clue. She had it up in a simple, high bun with her usual wispy bangs, a few tendrils escaping around her ears and neck.

"Well then, may I take your coat, milady?" he asked her, bowing slightly. He watched as she bit her lip and moved her hands to the tie on her coat. She slowly untied it and slid the buttons through their holes, one after the other. Once she undid the last one, she raised uncertain eyes to his, her teeth working her bottom lip.

Jasper frowned. "_What was she so worried about?"_ he thought. Then his eyes widened as she pulled the coat open and lowered it over her arms. Her very bare arms.

Jasper shook his head, reaching to draw the coat back over her. Alice scowled at him and took a step back, wrenching the coat out of his hands.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "Stop that."

He lowered his hands but kept them in fists at his sides. She hadn't dressed in a poodle skirt from the Fifties like Mara'd said. She had on an itty, bitty, green dress that barely covered her.

Jasper fumed as he watched her. She'd known he wouldn't like her costume. He could tell from the way she was watching him that she'd known.

Pulling the coat all the way off, Alice laid in over the back of a chair and reached behind her to straighten the silvery wings attached to her back. She looked up at Jasper's face and let out a sigh.

"Oh come on, Jas," she pleaded. "It's not that bad."

"You're barely covered, Ali." he complained tightly, now understanding the little green balls glued onto her white flats.

"I'm more covered than when I wear a bathing suit." she argued, her bottom lip protruding. "I really hoped you'd like it, Jas. Why are you always so judgmental?"

His eyes roamed over her and he did think she looked really cute. His dark-haired Tinkerbell with her tiny, turned-up nose and big, blueberry eyes.

"I suppose it's not that bad," he relented with a small smile. "I am surprised, though." Then his eyebrows came together in puzzlement. "I thought you were wearing a poodle skirt?"

Alice looked at him in confusion. "A poodle skirt? Where'd you get that idea? I've planned to go as Tinkerbell from the beginning."

"Tinkerbell?" Emmett hollered as he spotted Alice and stomped up next to her. "Priceless! Good one, Munchkin!"

His eyes roamed over her before darting to Jasper. "I take it you don't like it, huh?" he asked him, noting the tightness around his eyes and mouth.

Jasper gestured at Emmett's baby sister. "You have to admit, it is pretty revealing."

Emmett nodded as he looked at Alice again. "Yeah, but it's just a costume, Jas. Lighten up and have fun. She looks great!"

Alice grinned at his approval. "Thanks, Herman. You don't look so bad yourself."

Emmett guffawed at her before grabbing his creepy, pale-skinned wife. "I look amazing! Come on, Lily. Let's boogie!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes at Alice as he led her away. They passed James and Mark who were coming toward their table.

"Frickin' awesome, man." James said, following Rosalie and Emmett with his eyes. "Those costumes rock. I mean, Em and Rose _are_ Herman and Lily Munster."

Everyone laughed and nodded as they watched the couple dance. Emmett towered over Rosalie in his clunky shoes and Rose giggled at him every couple of seconds as he stumbled around.

Jasper laughed along with the others but he was very aware of Mark and James making a point not to look at Alice. His hands itched to wrap her coat back around her and it was all he could do, not to. Finally, his team mates turned to him, concern on their faces.

"Hey, Jas," Mark greeted him. "You look cool, man."

"Yeah, really cool," James agreed, holding up his thumb, his smile not reaching his eyes.

"Thanks," Jasper offered with a roll of his eyes, noting how they both still avoided Alice. He took in James' toilet paper mummy costume with a chuckle. "I see you went all out, James," he grinned.

With a genuine laugh, James shrugged. "Hey! A guy's gotta' do, what a guy's gotta' do."

Mark laughed and elbowed him. "Yeah, when a guy totally forgets to think ahead and get a costume"

The three friends laughed together. When their laughter died away, small smiles graced their faces as they looked at each other.

"We good, Jas?" Mark asked him, both he and James looking eager for their long-time friend's approval.

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, we're good."

Just then, Alice moved next to him and he saw two pairs of eyes widen and look away. Tamping down the irritation racing through his veins, he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Doesn't Ali look great?" he asked with a smile, watching them both.

"Uh, yeah. You look great, Ali," Mark stuttered, trying not to look below her neck.

"Yeah, great," James offered, his gaze never leaving hers, either.

Jasper laughed at them and relaxed. His Ali was hot and she was only gonna' get hotter. He supposed it was time he got used to other guys checking her out.

"Yeah, I wasn't too happy with her costume at first but she pointed out that her bathing suit is more revealing," Jas commented as a peace offering. "Tink is a Disney character, after all. Besides, she's a lot more covered up than some of these girls."

Mark and James agreed as they looked around at some of the other girls. Several of them were barely wearing what could be considered a bathing suit, let alone a costume.

"Somehow, I really don't mind, though, you know?" James quipped, the boys and Alice all laughing at his joke.

"You boys will never change," Alice scolded with a grin.

"Hi everyone," Mara said as she appeared on the other side of Jasper. "Having fun?"

Alice stared at her, her surprise transforming into anger as she turned her glare on Jasper, spun on her heel and walked away. Jasper started after her, worry hurrying his stride. As they reached the hallway outside of the community room, Jasper stopped her angry retreat.

"Ali, wait," Jasper called as he took hold of her bare shoulder and spun her to face him. "What's wrong?"

Alice shrugged off his hand and stared coldly up at him, tapping her foot.

His green eyes were puzzled but, before he could think of something to say, his attention was drawn over Alice's head. Alice watched his face darken and cringed when she heard a snide voice behind her.

"Well, well, well... " Matt murmured as he approached them. She turned and gasped when she saw him. Her eyes immediately flew to Jasper to see him with murder on his face, his green eyes now shooting fire.

"Ali, how could you?" he snapped, his glare now on her. His rival stood there grinning, dressed just like Peter Pan, green tights, and everything. Jasper wanted to smash his face in and would've if Mara hadn't chosen that moment to appear again.

"You guys okay?" she asked, all fake innocence. Jasper ignored her and switched his angry scowl back to Matt.

"Wow," Mara breathed, stepping closer to Jasper. "I didn't even realize this was gonna' be this awkward." She put her hand on Jasper's arm and gazed innocently up at him. "I was trying to save you from this, Jas. I'm really sorry."

She patted his arm and turned toward Matt. "Hey, Matt, let's go inside so these two can work this out."

Matt nodded. As he walked passed Alice, his eyes swept over her suggestively.

"Great costume, Ali," he remarked with a smirk. He looked to see Jasper's reaction. "Very hot."

Jasper growled as they walked away and Matt chuckled. His new greatest pleasure in life was pissing Jasper off.

Focusing his anger at Alice, Jasper clenched his hands.

"Why'd you say you'd go with me if you were gonna' dress like him?" Jasper bit out.

Ali was at her limit. With a huff, she said in her coldest voice, "Did it ever occur to you, Mr. Hale, that I'm not the one who dressed like anybody?" Her hands were on her hips, her eyes flashing right back at him. "You always assume that I'm responsible for these schemes when you should be looking elsewhere."

Jasper took a deep breath and let his body relax. She had a point. He always jumped to conclusions where she was concerned.

"Okay, I'm sorry. It just seems awfully convenient that Davidson just happened to dress as Peter Pan," he said, his voice calm.

"Yeah, just as convenient as Mara's costume," Alice gritted out, barely holding her temper in. "I didn't tell anyone what my costume was. The only person who knew was the salesman where I bought it."

Jasper shook his head. "You're right. It does seem pretty convenient. I don't understand how he found out, though, if you didn't tell him."

Alice shrugged her shoulders and said sarcastically. "Gosh, Jas, I hope you figure it out." She gestured at Jasper's slicked back hair and black leather jacket. "That still doesn't explain how Mara knew to dress to match you."

Jasper frowned at her. "What'd you mean, Mara dressed to match me?"

Alice made an angry sound and was about to walk away when she realized that Jasper was honestly perplexed. Trying to stay calm, she took a step back. "Are you telling me that you really didn't notice what Mara is wearing?"

Jasper scratched his head, his eyes going back toward the door to the party. "Um... was I supposed to?" he finally asked, not sure what he should say.

It was then, that Alice realized that he'd really had no idea what Mara'd been up to. She let out a giggle, loving that he'd been too jealous of Matt to notice Mara. "No. Not really."

Jasper watched her cautiously for a minute before his expression changed.

"Good, cuz I only have eyes for you," he quipped with a big, goofy grin.

Alice laughed and walked into him. Looking up into the eyes she loved so much, her arms tight around him, she couldn't help herself.

"Jasper Hale, that is the corniest thing you've ever said."

~xo-0-ox~

I hope you liked it. The next chapter should be up within the week.

Author's note: For those of you wondering what's been going on with me, it's been a terrible nine months.

As you may recall, my sister's fiance passed away unexpectedly at the end of last August (2011). We made it through the holidays coping as well as can be expected. (He is still painfully missed.) Then, at the end of January, it was obvious that my sister's health wasn't too good. She's suffered with Ulcerative Colitis since she was thirteen but has kept it in pretty good control. Suddenly, she was in a lot of pain and began bleeding. Finally, she was admitted to the hospital and then transferred to the University of Chicago, about an hour and a half away. After a two month long attempt to get her healthy again, she ended up having to have her colon removed. Then, she suffered a blood clot and almost bled to death from too much blood thinner, followed by another eleven day hospital stay. She's finally looking like herself again and actually went back to work on Monday, June 18.

To top all of that off, my mom had spinal surgery about a month ago. Her lower vertebrae had deteriorated and she had five discs worked on and steel rods implanted along her spine. She was doing well but woke up one morning a few days later, in a lot of pain and unable to walk. She's been in a continued care facility (nursing home) the past few weeks undergoing physical therapy and pain management. I'm happy to say that she came home last Friday and is getting around pretty good with a walker.

My mom and sister live together and, in case you haven't guessed, I'm their major means of support when they're both down. Luckily, my aunt came up from Alabama to help out with their animals, or I would've really been a crazy person. I made more trips to Chicago in the last 3 months than I ever have and got to know the local ER better than I ever wanted to. LOL! Thank heavens they are both on their way to better health and I can breath easier. Again, thank you all for your patience and I hope to finish this story up soon.

Best wishes, Charli xoxo


	79. Treats

**Yes, it's been longer than I promised but I'm not going to bore you with why. Life happens and I guess I just have to accept that I won't always be able to write when I want to. I am working on a few new stories, though, (only in my head, so far) and there is one Fandom cause I'm thinking about writing for but 'My Everything' will definitely be my priority. Enjoy!**

Treats

79.

Mara glared in Alice and Jasper's direction. Her plan wasn't going at all the way she'd hoped. She looked over at Matt standing next to her and frowned. He was talking to a few of his friends and didn't even seem interested in getting Alice away from Jasper. She mentally stomped her foot, her face a twisted mask of anger and frustration. Just then, she felt a touch on her arm.

"Hey, Mara," Lauren said, sympathy on her face. "I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you planned."

She looked over at Alice and Jasper, laughing and talking with friends, and sighed. Jasper looked so handsome with his hair slicked back and his broad shoulders filling out his black leather jacket. He always looked good to her, and it was all she could do not to march over there and grab Alice up by her hair.

"I know," sighed Mara wistfully, looking their way, as well. "He looks so hot tonight and that little brat doesn't even appreciate him. I really thought they'd be mad, and fight about Matt and my costumes but they don't even seem to care." She shook her head, her mouth in a grim line. "Other than having her killed, I don't know what else to do to pry them apart."

Lauren looked at her in shock. Mara seemed perfectly serious and, for the first time, Lauren wondered exactly what Mara was capable of. Mara's eyes flicked over to her and she laughed.

"No, I don't have Ali's murder planned," she quipped, her eyes gleaming wickedly. "Yet," she added with another laugh. Lauren laughed along, suddenly wondering if Jasper Hale was really worth tangling with this girl over.

"Sorry I was so mad about Matt, Ali." Jasper said as he handed Alice a napkin. They sat at their table with Edward and Bella, having a snack.

"I told you already, Jas. It's alright." Alice said, before taking a sip of her cola.

"Well, I think it's really bitchy of that skank to do that to you, Jasper," Bella stated, her eyes flashing. "I've about had it with her little schemes."

Jasper shook his head. "Don't be that way, Bells. I don't think she means any harm. I just think she's lonely and is trying to get attention." Bella and Alice both rolled their eyes but didn't say anything.

"Just hear me out," Jasper pleaded. "Think about it. She leaves all her friends, and everything she knows, to move here, where she knows no one. Her brothers both make new friends right away. One's on the football team, the other in a band. What does she have?"

His eyes took in both girls, moving from one to the other. Alice looked away but Bella glared at him.

"Seriously?" she breathed, her anger evident in her eyes. "Jasper, don't tell me you're really that blind? That girl is an evil bitch and you're just too dumb to realize it."

"Bella!" Edward, interjected, surprise showing on both his and Jasper's faces. He sat up and faced her. "Come on, now. Don't be rude. Jasper's just trying to be nice. You know how he is."

Bella snorted. "I don't care how he is, Edward. It's obvious to everyone else, even her own brothers, what she's trying to do. Why can't you and Jasper see it?"

Edward looked over at his life-long friend, his brows raised in question. Jasper exhaled and shook his head.

"I'm not stupid, Bella. I know she's involved with Matt in the whole costume thing." Jasper admitted. "I just don't know why. He must've talked her into it somehow."

Bella rolled her eyes and snorted again. "I don't believe you, Jas. Here, all this time, I thought you were really smart. Boy, was I wrong!"

This time, Alice couldn't help it. A soft giggle escaped her and she quickly put her hand over her mouth. She'd been looking down at the table and the others had thought she was upset. Staring at her in surprise, the two boys watched as she lifted laughing eyes to them.

"What?" she managed, biting her lip and trying to look innocent. She heard Bella try to cover her giggle with a cough and she looked over at her before they both burst out laughing. The boys watched them, bewildered, Jasper's lips twitching at their hilarity.

Edward shook his head in amusement. "I just don't understand girls. I guess I never will."

Jasper nodded in agreement, still watching Bella and Alice. When they finally quieted enough to catch their breath, he cocked an eyebrow at them in a silent request for an explanation. Bella bit her lip and looked away, fighting to control herself. Alice faced him, her eyes dancing.

"I've never seen you chewed out by anyone but Rose before." she told him, another giggle escaping. "That was great! You should've seen your face."

"Ha ha. You girls are so funny," Jasper deadpanned, still not understanding what they thought was so amusing. He couldn't believe that Bella had gotten so angry. He'd never seen her really mad before.

Bella watched as the puzzled frown on Jasper's face deepened. "Jasper," she called. When he looked at her, she apologized. "I'm sorry for going off on you. I just don't get that you can't see what a scheming liar that girl is." She looked at Alice, then back at him. "It's obvious that she's been trying to get you and Ali apart since she first met you. Even at the state fair she was all over you. Don't you remember how she put Ali down and made remarks about her the whole time?"

Jasper shook his head looking confused. "No. I don't remember her being mean to Ali at all. I just remember her being all alone and glad to have someone to walk around with. I mean, she did hang on me some but, once she found out that I was with Ali, she backed off."

Bella sat back in her chair with a huff. "Forget it, Jas." she bit out. "You can't see what's right in front of your face, so I'm just not wasting any more of my time."

Edward placed his hand on her arm. "Bella, I know you're upset but please calm down. Jasper's always been like this. Believe me. It took him years before he realized what Lauren was like. She'd antagonize Ali right in front of him and he wouldn't believe she was doing it on purpose. He just doesn't understand his appeal."

Now it was Jasper's turn to roll his eyes and let out a snort. "Give me a break." he muttered, turning away from Edward.

"It's true, Jas." Edward said. "You know it is. Lauren still tortures Ali when she can. Look what happened at her graduation party. No one suffered for that but Ali."

Jasper looked at Alice, his eyes lit with sudden understanding. "She was mean to you all that time because of me?"

Alice looked at Edward and Bella, and shook her head. "Duh," she drawled, rolling her eyes. "I think he's finally got it."

"Wow." Jasper breathed, staring at the table in front of him. He looked back up at the girl who held his heart. "I'm sorry, Ali." he said, softly. "I really didn't know. I feel like an idiot. I did try to stick up for you, though. I always thought she was mean to you because she was jealous."

"She is, Jas. She's jealous because you're always paying attention to me." Alice told him. "She hates me because you like me and not her."

"Well, her being mean to you wasn't ever going to make me like her," he stated.

"We know that but she doesn't." Edward told him, glad they'd finally gotten through to him. "Some of the kids were mean to Ali because they were jealous that she's small and so cute but Lauren's always hated her because of you. I guess it was obvious that you love Ali, Jas, even back then."

Jasper gazed at Alice, a small grin on his face. "I do love you, you know."

Alice blushed and smiled shyly up at him. "I love you, too, Jas."

This time, it was Edward who snorted and rolled his eyes.

~xo-0-ox~

"We have the results of the costume contest, everyone. Please gather around while we announce the winners." The announcement was made by the village mayor and the partygoers all gathered around in excitement. "Our first place winners were obvious from the moment they arrived. The winners for best costumed couple, are Emmett Cullen and Rosalie Hale, as Herman and Lily Munster."

The crowd clapped joyously as Emmett led Rose over to the mayor to receive their prize.

"Really terrific costumes, you two," he praised with a big smile, as he handed them an envelope. "First prize is $100, dinner for two at the Village Inn and two tickets to any movie at the Lake Geneva cinema."

Everyone cheered while Emmett and Rose thanked the mayor. As they moved away, he cleared his throat. Once the crown calmed down, the mayor continued, "The second place winners of the best couples contest, was a really tough decision. There are so many brilliant costumes this year but the judges have decided that Alice Cullen and Matt Davidson are the second place winners as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan."

The guests all clapped and cheered as Matt walked over to Alice. He smirked at Jasper standing frozen at her side, and attempted to take her hand. She frowned at him and pulled her hand away before moving quickly toward the mayor. Smiling her thanks, she kept her distance from Matt.

"Thank you, Mayor McBride but Matt and I didn't come together. We just happened to be dressed this way. We didn't plan it." Alice told him.

"Oh. Well, that's alright, sweetheart." the mayor said, handing her the envelope he held in his hand. "Maybe you two can go to a movie together, huh?" he grinned suggestively and winked at her but she shook her head.

"No. Thank you, anyway. I'd rather go to the movies with my date but Matt can have the tickets to take whomever he'd like." she handed the envelope to Matt who had no choice but to take it.

"Uh... thank you, Ali," he stammered, his face red, and Alice turned and walked straight back to Jasper. Jasper grinned down at her as she stopped next to him and took his hand. She smiled up at him before looking back toward the mayor.

"That's very generous of you, Alice." Mayor McBride complimented before turning to look at Matt. Jasper bit back his chuckle at the look on Matt's face as the mayor continued his speech. "I guess you'll have to find a girl of your own to use these tickets with, huh, Mr. Davidson? It looks like young Mr. Hale has beaten you to our little Tinkerbell."

The mayor's good-natured laugh, and the applause of the crowd, covered up Jasper's escaped laughter. Alice thought he was enjoying Matt's discomfort a little too much and she dug her elbow playfully into his abdomen, her eyes alight with laughter themselves. Jasper choked back his laughter as the mayor gave Matt a pat on the shoulder before proceeding to announce the other winners of the costume contest.

Back at their table, the friends all congratulated Emmett and Rosalie on their win, their parents making a stop to offer them praise, as well. Carlisle made a point of talking to Alice while they were there.

"By the way, Ali," Carlisle commented, aside from the others. "That was very well-done."

Alice beamed up at him. "Thank you, Daddy. I thought it went very well, myself."

He grinned and gently squeezed her arm, watching as Jackson approached them, a big grin on his face.

"Way to put that boy in his place, Angel." he offered, much to Alice's delight. She giggled and nodded.

"Thanks, Mr. Jackson. I thought so."

Jasper walked over and proudly put his arm around Alice's shoulders. Grinning at their dads, he added to their praise. "I'll never doubt Ali where Matt's concerned again. She was something, huh?"

Both men agreed, with a light slap to Jasper's back. Alice caught Bella's look over at the table, and both girls giggled and rolled their eyes. "Neanderthals," she mouthed, a wicked twinkle in her eyes.

~xo-0-ox~

The lights were dim and a slow, romantic song played over the speakers. Jasper pulled Alice closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks for coming to the dance with me, Ali," he murmured, loving the feel of her in his arms. "I haven't been this happy in a long time."

Alice sighed and snuggled into his warmth. "Me, either, Jas."

"Thanks, also, for what you did with Matt. I'm so sorry that I got mad at you about his costume. I should've known you wouldn't do that." he smiled sadly down at her. "Sometimes I just don't stop and think."

"It's alright, Jas." she said. "I told you before, I'm not mad."

"Well, you should be." Jasper frowned. "Bella's right. I'm an idiot."

Alice giggled and Jasper grinned at her. "I'm seeing Bella in a whole new light tonight. How about you?"

Alice nodded with another giggle. "I wish you could've seen your face when she tore into you. Although, I think Edward was even more shocked than you."

Jasper chuckled and gave her a little squeeze as they continued to dance. "I was surprised," he allowed. "She didn't say anything I didn't deserve, though."

"I'm not gonna' argue with that," Alice cracked and Jasper gave her a mock scowl. She giggled and he watched her fondly. A thought struck him and he continued to apologize.

"I should say I'm sorry about Mara, too." he admitted. "I still don't think she's interested in me but I promise to be more aware from now on." He looked over at Mara dancing with their friend, Nick. "Her and Nick seem to be getting along well."

Alice looked over and smiled. "Yeah, they do. I really hope they get along. It would be nice not to have to worry about her, for a change."

Jasper tilted her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes. "I swear, Ali, there's absolutely nothing for you to worry about where Mara is concerned." He sighed. "Yeah, I admit, when she first came here, I thought she was really pretty but, even then, I wasn't interested in her like that. I'm still not."

Alice nodded. "Okay, Jas. I believe you. Let's just enjoy ourselves and forget about Mara and Matt."

He nodded and let out a happy sigh as she snuggled back into him. Looking down at the top of her dark head, he said a silent prayer that he could handle their relationship this time. He vowed that he'd learn to control his anger and not take it out on Ali ever again. By the time the song came to an end, he was brimming with confidence that things would be perfect this time.

Alice looked up at Jasper with sleepy eyes and gave him a cute little grin. He chuckled and caressed her cheek with his finger. "You tired, darlin'?"

Alice nodded and lay her head back down on his chest. He smiled down at her and urged her toward their table. "Come on, Tink, let's see if Herman and Lily will take us home."

Emmett was loath to leave but Rosalie was more than ready. "Come on, Em. I'm tired and Ali's practically asleep on her feet."

Emmett gave in reluctantly and went to tell their parents that they were headed home. He saw Edward on his way, and let him know they were leaving, too.

"You sure you don't mind, Em?" Carlisle asked, sensing that he wasn't really happy about leaving already. "We can take the kids home if you're not ready to leave."

Emmett sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready, Dad. Rose wants to go, too, and even Edward said he's tired. Bella's already gone with her parents, and they took Jess and Brent with them." He gave his dad a reassuring smile. "You guys have fun, and don't worry about us. We'll be fine."

"Okay, Son," Carlisle agreed. "Be careful going home. We won't be too late."

Emmett hugged his parents, and shooed his siblings and friends out the door. It had been a long but amazing night. He and Rose had won first place for best costumes, they'd danced every dance and they'd eaten a lot of delicious food, well, he had, anyway. He grinned at the memory of Rose's face when they'd announced the best costumes. She'd been truly shocked. Of course, he'd known they were going to win all along. How could they not? Their costumes were awesome, if he did say so himself.

Rose gave him a puzzled look when she caught his grin and he winked at her. She shook her head with a smile as they ushered their younger siblings out into the parking lot. She glanced at Jasper and felt a warmth rush over her. He looked so happy and she blew him a kiss when he smiled at her. Alice was once more wrapped in Esme's coat and could barely keep her eyes open. She smiled again, knowing that Ali'd be out cold, probably before they even left the parking lot. Jasper wouldn't mind, though, she laughed to herself. That boy was totally content just holding Alice while she slept. He always had been.

She sighed as she thought about earlier in the evening. She'd been so excited when her and Emmett had won for best costumes but that excitement had turned to anxiety when second place had gone to Ali and Matt. The judges had assumed that Matt and Alice were together since their costumes matched. Jasper had just about lost it at the look of triumph Matt wore as he'd walked over to escort Alice up to accept their prize. Thank God, he'd kept it together.

She smiled fondly at the tiny girl stumbling toward the car. Tendrils of long, dark hair had begun unwinding from the bun on her head and her big, dark eyes were blinking sleepily. She'd been so proud of her when she'd looked straight at the mayor and told him to give Matt the prize alone. Jasper had smiled so big that he'd almost split his face in two. He'd also almost squeezed the stuffing out of Ali, he'd hugged her so hard. Ali had gasped, her face lit up with happiness, and begged Jasper to let her breathe. After that, they'd both smiled so much that everyone around them couldn't help but smile, too.

Jasper was in his glory as he cuddled Alice in the back of Esme's SUV. She sat on his lap, her head on his chest, and sighed sleepily into his shirt. He'd wrapped her in her mom's trench coat, being careful not to smash her wings, and bundled her into the car. Now he had his arms around her, with her tucked under his leather jacket, the seatbelt around them both. He looked up when Edward chuckled from across the seat.

"You're sick, you know that?" he teased, watching Jasper holding onto his sister like she was a cherished teddy bear.

Jasper was puzzled. "Why? What'd I do now?"

Edward chuckled again, shaking his head. "You're just as obsessed with her, as ever. It's no different now than it was when she was little."

Jasper laughed softly and glanced down at the small girl sleeping in his arms. "Oh, it's different, all right," he joked, looking up to wiggle his brows lewdly. "Trust me."

Edward screwed up his face and Alice stirred as they both laughed.

"T.M.I., dude. T.M.I." Edward choked out dramatically. "There are just some things a brother doesn't want to think about."

"Ha!" Jasper mocked him. "Like you wouldn't wanna' have Bella sleeping on you right now."

Jasper laughed at Edward's grin. "Oh yeah," he agreed. "I wouldn't mind that at all."

Jasper glanced up and saw Emmett watching them in the rearview mirror. "How's it going, Em?" he said with a big grin.

"Not as well as it's going for you, little brother," Emmett laughed quietly, joined by Rose who'd turned to grin at her brother.

"I'm glad things turned out okay, Jas," his sister offered. "I admit, I was a little worried when I saw that skank starting trouble."

Jasper frowned at Rose. "She's not a skank, Rose. She's just trying to fit in, that's all. She found out that Matt knew Ali was gonna' be Tinkerbell and was gonna' dress as Peter Pan to piss me off. She figured she'd dress like me so that I wouldn't be left out."

Rose shook her head. "I don't know, Jas. I don't think she's as innocent as you think she is."

"Yeah, Jas," Emmett commented. "I tried giving her the benefit of the doubt for her brothers' sake but I gotta' agree with Rosie, she's out to cause trouble, plain and simple."

Jasper sighed and looked down at Alice. Smoothing a loose strand of hair off her face, he continued stubbornly. "You guys just don't know her, like I do. She barely has any friends yet, and just doesn't know where she fits in." He looked up, hope on his face. "She seemed to really hit it off with Nick, though, don't you think?"

Both Rose and Emmett agreed. Edward, however, added to this conclusion. "She did seem pretty into him but she also spent quite a lot of time watching you, Jas," he informed him. "I'd still keep an eye on her, and I wouldn't trust her at all. She just seems like she wants to get attention by starting stuff."

"I think you guys are giving me a lot more credit than I deserve. I really don't think she's all that interested in me," Jasper told them. "I think she's just lost and clings to whoever is nice to her. You know, a lot of the girls are jealous of her and won't even give her the time of day. She's a really nice girl, too."

Edward shook his head and rolled his eyes. Emmett chuckled and Rose snorted. Jasper looked at them all, his patience with them at an end.

"Think what you want. Mara knows I love Ali and besides, she doesn't like me like that anyway. We're just friends and I plan to keep it that way."

Rosalie sighed and Edward shook his head again.

"I hope you're right, little brother," Emmett offered, watching him in the mirror. "I hope you're right."

~xo-0-ox~

Emmett let Jasper carry Alice up to her room when they got home and laughed at his eagerness. "Don't look too happy there, sport. Rose'll be right behind you to get Ali in her jammies."

Rose smacked him as she walked passed him and up the stairs, softly laughing. Even after dancing all night, Emmett still had the energy to aggravate Jasper. She walked into Alice's room to see Jasper gently unwrapping her from Esme's coat. He smoothed back another loose tendril out of her face and smiled down at her gently. Rose bit her lip as she watched and hoped things would go smoothly for her brother with Alice. She was afraid he was just setting himself up for more heartache.

"Hey, Jas," she called out softly as she entered the room. "How's Sleeping Beauty?"

Jasper smiled at her, his eyes twinkling. "Sleeping," he quipped and turned to hang the coat over Ali's desk chair.

"Well, you better get going so I can get her out of that costume." Jasper nodded and bent to give Alice a kiss on her forehead. Straightening, he grinned at his sister.

"You have a good time tonight?" he asked. When Rose nodded, he laughed. "You two were crazy. I'm glad you had fun, though."

"Yeah," she answered, pulling the pins out of Alice's hair. "I did have a good time. Watching Emmett would've been fun enough but winning first prize was pretty awesome, too."

"Well, you deserved it, Rose," Jasper told her, moving to pull Alice's shoes off. "Those costumes are amazing. I can't believe what a great job you guys did."

"Thanks, Jas. It was fun putting them together. Em was so excited when we thought of them, I thought he was going to slip and tell one of you."

Jasper chuckled. "I think he almost did once," he told her. "He started to say something and then clamped his mouth shut. When I tried to pry it out of him, he told me you'd kill him so he couldn't say anything."

Rosalie laughed. "See? You can't trust him with any secrets. He can't help blabbing."

"He didn't tell me, though," Jasper offered with a grin. "You've got to give him that."

"I suppose."

Rosalie shooed Jasper out so she could get Alice ready for bed and, with one last glance at her, he closed the door gently behind him.

~xo-0-ox~

"Hey, Hot Shot!" Emmett greeted a bright-eyed, Jasper, the next morning. "What're you doing over here so early?"

He let Jasper in and closed the door, ushering him toward the kitchen.

"I just thought I'd come over and see Ali before everyone came over for practice."

Jasper glanced around the kitchen, obviously looking for Alice. Emmett laughed.

"She's not up yet, Loverboy." Emmett slapped Jasper on the back and went to the fridge. Getting out a container of juice, he set it on the table as Jasper got two glasses out of the cupboard. Filling the glasses, Emmett handed one to the other boy before taking a long drink out of his own.

Jasper was disappointed. He'd been too anxious to see Ali to sleep any longer, so he'd washed up and rushed right over. Now he slowly sipped his juice, his ears tuned for any sounds to indicate that she was awake.

Emmett laughed and refilled his glass. When Jasper gave him a questioning look, he drained his glass again before answering.

"You're so damn transparent, dude," he gloated. "You know she'll be up soon. Just be patient."

Jasper tried to look unconcerned but his eyes shifted to the doorway again, and Emmett burst out laughing.

"Shut up, Em!" Jasper growled, his face red. "At least I wear the pants in our relationship, unlike someone else I know."

"Ha!" Emmett countered, "If that's what you want to believe."

Jasper got up and rinsed out his glass. Turning back toward his best friend, he smirked, "I'm surprised Rose hasn't put a ring in your nose yet. It'd make it easier to lead you around." Then he put his finger to his lip and looked toward the ceiling, as though he were in deep thought. "Although, come to think of it, I guess she doesn't need to. You pretty much just follow her around without her having to do anything."

"Oh!" Emmett guffawed, but there was a frown on his face. "Like you don't follow Ali around."

Jasper grinned. He knew he was getting to the big guy now. "Nope. I don't. She follows me." When Emmett raised his brows skeptically, Jasper went in for the kill. "Who's always at the other one's house?" When Emmett didn't answer, Jasper knew he had him. "That's right. Ali's always at my house. Mine and Rose's house." With a killer grin, he added, "And you know that, because so are you."

With a growl, Emmett jumped out of his chair and tackled the tall blond to the kitchen floor. They rolled around on the tile, Jasper laughing at his triumph the whole time. A few seconds later, a discreet sound stilled them and brought both their heads up. Carlisle stood glaring at them, his hand to his head.

"Do you think you two idiots could take that outside?" he croaked, reaching for a glass. Filling it with water, he continued, "Fred drank way too much Rock Cola last night, and MY head is killing me."

Snickering at Carlisle's hungover attempt at humor, the boys stood up, playfully shoving each other still, and went to sit back down at the table. Just then, Esme walked in, a cheerful smile on her pretty face.

"Who's up for some eggs?" she chirped, her eyes on her husband. When he let out a low groan, she grinned wickedly at the boys. "Sunny side up? Nice and runny?"

The three of them burst out laughing when Carlisle groaned again and made quickly for the door.

"That'll teach him to drink so much at a party," Esme chuckled, sharing a grin with the boys. "Now, seriously, whose up for some breakfast?"

~xo-0-ox~

When Alice entered the kitchen, her two brothers and Jasper were sitting happily at the table while her mom hummed at the stove.

"You're all cheerful this morning." she smiled at their bright, happy faces. Jasper jumped up eagerly when he saw her.

"Good morning," he gushed, walking over to give her a hug. "I hope you slept good."

Alice nodded, a small smile on her lips. "I did. How about you?"

"Good." Jasper proclaimed, quickly, a big smile on his face. "Real good."

Alice watched his face with a sense of dread. He seemed overly eager after last night but she didn't want to ruin his good mood.

"I'm glad," she stated as she took her place at the table. Jasper sat next to her and grabbed onto her hand. Alice gave his hand a little squeeze before pulling her hand free and turning to her mom. "Can I help you with anything, Mom?" she asked, partly to cover up letting go of Jasper.

When her mom declined her help, she relaxed into her chair but tensed up again as Jasper took hold of her hand a second time. Looking over at him, she returned his happy grin with a soft smile. She did love him, with all her heart, but she just couldn't do this again right now. She'd just found her independence and, though she didn't want to cause the families any more strife, she didn't want to lose what little self-reliance she'd gained.

Keeping the smile plastered on her face, she was relieved to see that the boys hadn't noticed her reluctance. A genuine smile curved her lips as Esme set a platter of pancakes on the table, accompanied by cheers. Jasper let her hand go with a smile and they all dug in.


End file.
